Never Let Me Go
by l0v3m3n0tr3b3l
Summary: Zayla Krest and the Dixon boys have a bond thicker than blood. Zayla's fallen for Daryl, a man she grew up with thinking she knew everything about him. They protect each other like family, fight like a married couple, and love like it's keeping them from insanity. Now that the dead have risen, they must survive their new apocalyptic world. Will they get stronger or will they break?
1. Bonds

_**Hey~Hai peeps, peepers, and peepettes! You've stumbled onto my little instalment of The Walking Dead. This is my first public fanfic (so yeah it shall stink of newbie writer status). If I can guess correctly this will be an AU? In this version, we take a look at an old friend of the Dixon brothers, Zayla(I think it's called an OC). The first chapter or so will be focused on their history Pre-Apocalypse and then I'll intertwine it with the main story of the survivors. Throughout the story I'll change some of the outcomes of how it was originally aired but keeping the basic concept(going off of AMC's The Walking Dead because I unfortunately can't find the damn comics)So yes, people who died MAY LIVE AGAIN, people who (I think)SHOULD have died, just might! IT'S ALLL A MYSTERYYYYY! ANYWAY, enough of my antics enjoy my little vixens! Feedback is greatly appreciated! :)**_

(Zayla's POV)

"**Am I loud and clear, or am I breaking up?**

**Am I still your charm, or am I just bad luck? **

**Are we getting closer, or are we just getting more lost?"**

I softly sung a song I had come to love over the years as it played a bit often on the Atlanta radios. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Walking down the hot concrete pavements, I danced a little while looking over the familiar sights of the town I had now called 'home'. I wasn't no Georgia peach and I sure as hell didn't act like one. My mom and dad moved us around so much I could barely remember which state I was born in. I was wearing my signature outfit today: a white t-shirt, whose sleeves I'd graciously ripped off, light denim above-the-knee capris that were accompanied by dark brown cowboy lace-up boots and darker, also sleeveless, jean vest. I took pride in my anti-girly appearance. I was about 5'6 and had inhabited this word for 16 and half years. My hair was a dark red; it was very short and in a boyishly choppy cut with a black bandana covering my forehead. At first glance, you'd probably mistake me for a boy, which wasn't insulting because I WAS a goddamn tomboy. I was never into skirts or dresses or makeup or heels, none of that girly shit would fly with me and my father praised me for it. He'd treat me like the son he never had or actually wanted and we bonded tightly through that. My mother seemed less thrilled at the fact, but she didn't treat me any differently. Unfortunately, she was in a car crash last year, leaving me to be raised by my father who was doing a damn good job at it.

"**I'll show you mine, if you show me yours first…"**

"**I'll show you mine sweetheart!"**

A gruff voice interrupted my peaceful demeanor and stopped me in my tracks. I twist my head to the left. There stood a man, about 6 feet, with a little muscle to him. He had black hair that came just to his cheek and dark brown eyes that were gawking over me. His white-beater was tight due to his sweat, cargo pants and a beer bottle in hand, along with the smirk of a wolf who had just found a lamb.

I sighed and paused the delightful music that soothed my inner demons and put the black over-ear headphones around my neck before turning to him fully, eyes locked, loaded and ready to spit bullets.

"**Yeah…youse a pretty lil' thang, missy…I'd give a bit to see how mucha' man you can take."**

This asshole had a death wish, he had to. All the 'men' around town knew for a **GODDAMN FACT** that if they tried that cat call shit, **SOMEONE** would be bleeding by the time I was done. With my Dad being one of those high-ranking military hounds, his legacy alone kept most of the scum around here at bay, but he still insisted on teaching me some basic and advanced hand-to and combat. I had set one too many examples to put up with this shit.

"**Jeb! Leave 'er be! She ain't nothin' you want! Leave 'er be man!"**

One of the men accompanying the sick bastard who was now deemed as 'Jeb', spoke quickly but hesitantly. His voiced was trying to be hushed but in a loud enough and warning tone so that his friend could get the drift. Jeb turned to the man that spoke.

"**Why should I Earl? She's struttin' round' here like a damned prized hog from the county fair! She caught my eye, n' I've takin a likin' towards 'er. I'm gon' giver somthin' real nice." **

As his head turned back to mehis cheek got acquainted with my fist and his arm was twisted behind his back, his face smashed against the brick wall he was leaning on and his neck met the cold embrace of my pocket knife. The men he was with stood and watched in both excitement and fear.

"**Ain't you never seen a lady before? You should know better than to talk like that in the presence of one. I am appalled! You kiss your Mama with that mouth? I think you owe me an apology Jeb, less you was plannin' on takin' a trip to the emergency room today."** I hissed as the salty sweat poured by the gallons from his face and trailed down his neck, shimmering in the daylight.

"**I-I'm s-sorry lil' miss…it was w-wrong for me to disrupt ya'. Musta' mistaken ya' fer a lil piece of tail I used ta' chase 'round. D-didn't mean no harm."** I slowly turned my head to the side in a crazed manner, he had a pretty good view of my face from the way his head was, and I pulled the knife back.

"**See, that wasn't so hard now was it? Use the manners your Mama taught ya' asshole****."**I released him and he slid to the ground, clutching his arm and breathing heavily. I began to walk, a sinister smile tugging at my lips. Within that little altercation, I had managed to pull out 20 bucks from that jerk's pocket. A nominal fee for wasting my time. Pulling my headphones back on, I picked up where I left off.

"…**let's compare scars, I'll tell you whose is worse. Let's unwrite these pages and replace them with our own words…"**

I reached my destination in no longer than 15 minutes, the worn out Dixon house that barely stood before me was home to a close friend of mine. Daryl. He was different, in a way I couldn't pinpoint but still different and that's what attracted me to him. He was quiet but his mind was loud, I could see it. When I'd watch him sit and gaze at nothing, his eyes flickering between things I couldn't see and his fingers slightly tapping his knee, I knew he was deep in thought. He was smarter than he appeared to be and I wanted to pry open his mind to see what it was that ran through it.

Years ago, I learned the hard way that knocking on the front door of the Dixon house was a damn good mistake and when I did, I never let the scene of their Daddy's drunken yelling and badgering escape my mind. I never wanted that to happen again as it gave me a good scare. Nowadays, I climbed through the window around the back of the house that led into the room him and his older brother Merle shared. Technically, it was Daryl's room but Merle didn't seem to care, if he couldn't get to his first, Daryl's room would do just fine.

_Merle_, a damn dog is what he was and he had the name to fit. He was always getting locked away so he was rarely ever home, but when he was, he'd drink, fuck, and get high like they were the only things that kept his heart beating. His teenage years were long gone but he wasn't _**that**_ old, the old warhound still had some good years ahead of him.

Sitting in-between the space with the wall and the bed, I was hidden for the most part. As I settled in, I waited for my silent, 17 year old companion to grace me with his presence. I really did value his friendship, mainly because he was one of the few friends I actually had.

Time passed and I started thinking that he'd forgotten that I was coming. To hell with the fact that I was trespassing, I just didn't want to be alone with Merle!

Suddenly, the door opened then closed and I heard the almost silent footsteps of his boot covered feet, then the squeaking of the bed and his heavy sigh.

"_Well __**someone **__forgot about me…" _I thought.

His relaxed breathing signified that he was asleep or at least getting there. I quietly crawled to where his head lay, one arm draped over his eyes and the other hanging off the bed, his chest rising and falling with his calm breathing. He was sleeping.

I smiled.

I liked him, hell I practically _**claimed **_him. I'd kiss him on the cheek and watch his face get red whenever we'd say our 'goodbyes' for the night. I'd hug him tight and breathe in his scent, knowing how he hated having his personal space invaded, but appreciating the warmth and fondness of me. I'd fallen for a Dixon, the craziest of crazies and the most unstable people to ever walk this earth. If anyone knew how I felt about him, they'd tell me I was stupid and that I'd be better off liking a wild animal, but I wouldn't care what anybody said. I was like a dog to a bone, I dare anyone try to take him away from me.

Seeing the opening to get him embarrassed, amongst other things, I gently sat on his lap. He stirred a bit, moving one arm under his head, but relaxed again. I placed my hands on his strong chest, one of them over his steady heartbeat and slowly moved down to the waistband of his jeans and back up again.

He didn't move, not even a flinch. If anything, he became _even more_ relaxed than he already was, like he was comfortable.

Impatient, I crossed my arms over my chest and grinded into his crotch, putting a suitable amount of pressure on him.

"_Try sleeping through that."_

A groan softly rumbled in his chest as his hips gave an instinctive buck before his eyes shot open; his grey-blues ran over me before meeting my dark grey ones. For a second, I noticed how dilated they were…how they were darkened with something…then I felt him. How hard he was. I could tell his boner wanted to rip out of the jeans that restrained him, the friction and warmth only making it worse.

"**Whatcha' doin that fer girl?! S'matter wit ya?"**He growled and pulled me by my hips off of him and onto the bed. He sat up and put his legs over the side, his breathing heavy. I smirked triumphantly.

"**Complimentary wakeup call from yours truly. It's time to play, Dixon!" **I smirked deviously and he glared over his shoulder before dropping his head down, he was concentrating on his breathing again.

"**Ya' coulda just waited fer me to get up n'stead of doin whatcha' did, actin' like you don't know no better! Ya' gonna get nipped right in the ass one day, keep doin that!"**He threw his hand up and I laughed.

"**Hey, you brought this on yourself! I told you I was coming over and you should've been up so you can't be mad at me."**

"**Like hell I can't"**

I lay on my back so my cheek was touching his leg; my legs were crossed at my ankles up against the wall and I looked up at him. He caught my eyes for a second then tore away to the floor below.

"**You seriously got your balls in a bunch 'cause you gotta boner Daryl?"** His attention snapped on to me as I spoke, then he blushed and refocused on the floor. I giggled making him glare at me from the corner of his eyes.

I bit my lip innocently.

"…**whatcha' do that fer? Gonna be the death of me girl****."**He grumbled again.

We sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, something I had become accustomed to after being around him for so long.

"**You gonna be walkin' around with a angry boner all day or do you want me to help you?" **I said softly andtrailed my fingertips down his exposed arm. As confident as I seemed, I had **no freaking idea **of what I was going to do if he accepted my temptation. His eyes never left mine but he gripped the sheets, knuckles white. Suddenly, the door slammed open and Merle stood tall with his signature smirk dawned on his face and a blonde broad in a fit of giggles over his left shoulder.

"**We gonna have some fun today girlie, you jus' wait!"** He patted her ass and laughed before noticing Daryl and, more interestingly, myself along with the position I was in. He dropped the blonde girl and she gave an _'oomph'_ before scowling up at him.

"**Ouch Merle! That hurt you asshole!"**She slapped his leg, causing him to look down and grab her arm to haul her out the bedroom door.

"**Merle what the fuck!?"**

"**Hush up now sugartits, you gon' get a piece of me but right now I need you to shut yer spit hole n' go sit in there till I call ya'. Grown-ups got some talkin' to do, go on!"** He shoved her forward and she stomped into the living room where she plopped down on the couch_. _He came back in the bedroom, eyes fixated on me and smirked.

_Sugartits,_ one of the most degrading names I'd ever heard a woman be called and it was Merle's way of giving…compliments? That ugly word was the one thing I'd always know him by and the broads he'd be with just ate that shit up…_Sugartits, __**yuck!**_

"**Well I'll be sippin' slurpees in hell, my baby brother done bagged him a good one all by himself. You sure she ain't too much for ya' Darylina?"** Daryl scowled but was silent, his eyes were flushed with embarrassment and anger. Merle chucked and squatted in front of me. I sat up, legs under me and arms holding me to his face level.

"**Whatcha' doin wit my baby brother? Girl like you need somebody who can make 'er scream. If ya' wanted to have some fun, ya' coulda called on ol' Merle, I'd happ-ly oblige to any of your needs darlin'."**

"**Go fuck yourself." **I said with a smile making his bigger.

"**I'd be happier if you did. Ya' got quite the mouth on ya' there girlie, by the way yer talkin' I can tell you ain't yet been tamed****…"**He moved his face closer to mine.

"…**Darylina over here ain't man enough to tame ya. But me? Hell, I'd have ya' legs shakin, eyes in the back of yer head 'n just beggin' me for more. My baby brother wouldn't fuck the cleanest broad I'd bring 'em. He probably wouldn't even know what ta' do with a piece of ass, boy's almost a man n' still ain't punched his V card." **

"**I ain't no damn virgin Merle****."** Daryl said sternly as he stood and we both looked at him. Merle had an eyebrow cocked and that stupid grin began playing on his face again.

"_Well __**that's**__ good to know…" _

"**Well hot damn, ya' sure as hell had me fooled, had me thinkin' you was gonna save yourself ****for marriage some lil' pussy."** He laughed and walked in front of him.

"**Tell me somethin' baby brother, did this fine lil vixen over here do it? Y'all do some romantic Romeo and Juliet type shit? Damn shame a woman gotta teach ya' how ta use yer own piece. Hope ya' was smart 'nough ta' wrap the damn thing."**Merle's teasing tone was broken by his barking laughter. Usually, I'd bust his face open and watch him flail around on the floor, laughing while he spewed curses and call me every bitch in the book, but something was telling me to bite my tongue and watch the show. So I did.

"**I ain't loose it to her, didn't even know 'er when it happened…but it sure as **_**hell**_** wasn't to none of them whores ya' done fucked dry!"** His voice was low at first, as if he didn't want me to hear it, but I was literally a half an inch away from him. What did he expect?

"**Ain't you got a broad in there to be bangin'? Ya left 'er alone 'n she probly done stole everythin' but the kitchen sink."**

Merle's grin stayed plastered on his face as he looked over his brother and then back to me.

"**Growin' quite the pair there baby brother. Don't worry, I'm just pokin' fun. Well, I best be lettin' you two getcha' thing on then. Don't make too much noise ladies, we wouldn't wanna scare the neighbors."**With that, he closed the door and returned his attention to the blonde he had brought in. A few minutes later, all I could hear was those two going at it like animals. The bed creaking, her moaning, him growling, the slapping of skin on skin. I gagged at the thought of what they were doing as it was pretty obvious.

Getting off the bed, I opened the window and turned to him.

"**Can we get outta here before I blow chunks? I feel like I'm gonna catch somethin' if I'm too close to the horror goin' on in there."** My face was scrunched up and twisted like a putrid odor had penetrated my nose. Daryl huffed and walked to the window.

"**Ladies first."**

"**Then why aren't you outside yet **_**Dayrlina**_**?"** I teased and he scowled before we hopped through and out.

"**Don't start callin' me that, ya' hear? Get enough of that crap from Merle."**

"**Yes, sir Mr. Dixon"**

Throughout the years, Daryl and I got closer even if only inch by inch. We protected each other like brother and sister, argued like a married couple, and sometimes we'd even have a tender moment where we'd kiss before he'd pull away. Those were the moments I craved.

We stayed close even as adults. I shared an apartment with Skylar, the other bartender I worked with, as the place wasn't too far from the bar in town. The Dixon boys would stop by sometimes and I'd give them a round on the house.

We didn't change much aside from the fact that I let my hair grow out a little over my shoulders and my eyes were the color of metal due to melanin. I was developing a Georgia accent that was noticeable when I'd yell or get angry. Daryl got taller and stronger, his dirty blonde hair stayed in its cropped style but he drank a bit more and his smoking got up to an addictive level.

As the years progressed I started stealing more, after all bad habits die hard. At first it was just petty things like bracelets, necklaces, rings, then to food, then clothes, and I found myself pickpocketing people daily. I didn't know I was doing it half the time. Then there was a car, a beautiful, new modeled, black, Charger. I couldn't help it, the damn thing was begging me to take it and that's where I royally fucked up.

I got caught, and thrown in the back of a cop car. Did they really think it'd be that easy, that I'd just come in peacefully? I'd gotten caught one other time as a teenager and they let me go with a warning but not before putting my picture behind the front desk for anyone to recognize.

I was familiar with the backseat so escaping was too easy. My knees up to my chest to brace for impact, a turn and a pull I was out the car, tumbling in the street and gaining distance between those pigs.

"_Off your ass and on your feet, girl." _ I pulled myself up and started running, the cops trailing after me, yelling for me to stop and surrender.

The minutes that passed seemed like hours; my chest was heaving and my lungs burned, but that just fueled my flame to keep going. I felt like I was on one of those outrageous, cop chase TV shows.

"_You stop, you're done for. First for grand theft auto and second for resisting arrest. You stop and there's no easy way out of this."_

The cops were still taling me, but they weren't keeping up as much. One cut through an ally, a turn of a corner and there was the dirt path leading to safety. Running up the few steps and slightly banging on the door with my foot, Merle appeared in the doorway, shirt half on and boxers loose.

"**Zayla? Whatcha' doin-"** I damn near tackled the man and slammed the door behind me, my back to it keeping everything out.

"**The hell kind shit storm you brewin' girl?"**

"**Shh!"**

"**What?!"**

"**Shut the fuck up Merle!"**

After a reassuring 20 minutes of silence, I peeked out the mail slot to see any signs of the law. Sighing tiredly, I slumped to the floor, chest heaving and face covered in sweat.

"**The hell kinda trouble ya get into girlie? Comin' in here lookin like a runaway slave that done all but missed the freedom train. Ya' keep runnin' that trap of yours and I'mma tan your hide****."**I laughed exhaustedly with him, I probably did look like shit and God knows a bare-ass beating was long overdue, but I was safe and that's all that mattered.

"**Merle, the hell's goin' on out here?"**Daryl had emerged, shotgun cocked, hair a mess and pajamas on. His eyes fell to me and filled with worry as he lowered the gun and looked over me.

"**Zayla? You out bashin' people in the heads wit' bottles again?"**I smiled as I replayed the memory.** "That was one time and that asshole deserved it." **He smirked and the tenseness faded.

"**Don't bust a nut baby brother, Zayla just came by in the dead of night cause she couldn't stop thinkin' 'bout me. Lil vixen jus' wanted some tender lovin'."**

He was a cocky son of a bitch, but he was funny when he wanted to be.

"**I like bein' cuffed up as much as the next girl, but do you think you could help me outta these?" **I pulled my arms under my legs so the handcuffs were in front of me. Merle chuckled.

"**Always had a feelin' you was into kinky shit like that." **He winked and stood. **"Ya 'member what I taught ya?" **Daryl nodded and Merle patted his shoulder before retreating to bed.

After he had gotten the cuffs off I peeked out the window, looking for any sings of the cops and saw none. I'd be good till' morning.

"**Don't look like the cops is 'round no more. Thanks for the new cuffs, Dixon." **I went to grab the doorknob and he pulled my hand away, leaning on the door with his arms crossed over his chest.

"_Oh great, now he's gonna chew me out and make me feel like the biggest asshole ever."_

"**Ya ain't goin' out there again, I think you've had more than enough fun tonight and ya' obviously need a damn babysitter lil' miss outlaw."**I scoffed.

_**I **_needed a babysitter? With all the bar and street fights I've seen him in with and without Merle, I was a saint dressed in white standing before him.

"**I'm 27 years old, a grown ass woman-"**

"**And I'm 29, respect ya damn elders girl. You ain't leavin' this house tonight. Ya gonna go get cleaned up, get in bed, and I ain't gonna put up wit' no fussin' neither****."** I narrowed my eyes.

Who in the hell told him that he could boss me around like he was my damn father? Who gave him that authority over me? I had to admit though, it was a bit of a turn-on seeing him so demanding.

I cocked my eyebrow and smirked as dirty thoughts flooded my mind and heated between my legs.

"**You gonna spank me for bein' bad? I should warn you though, I love it."**I teased.

He took slow strides until he was in my face.

"**Keep testin' me girl, an' ya gonna regret it." ** He growled.

Was he serious? Is he serious? He's not serious…right?

Part of me wanted to see what he would do if I disobeyed, maybe I'd like my punishment. Then again, he is a crazy ass redneck and I'd hate to get on his bad side.

The fear of the unknown outcome won.

I smirked and headed towards the bathroom. Merle was right, I did look like shit. Face covered in dirt and blood from the impact of the tuck and roll, shirt ripped almost to shreds, hair frizzy and wild.

"**Mama if you could see me now…"** I muttered to myself, she'd probably have a stroke at the first glace of me.

A quick sink wash was sufficient to make me look decent enough. I pulled the door open enough to peek out and look for Merle, seeing me half-naked would stroke his ego in all the wrong places. With my clothes in hand, I sprinted into Daryl's room and shut the door. As I turned, my eyes met his wide ones.

He had another pair of his PJ pants along with one of his shirts in his hands, which were probably for me, and his grip tightened when his eyes saw my much exposed body through my blue and black frilled underwear set. I looked down at myself and remembered his favorite color was indeed the shade of blue I was wearing.

"**You gonna tuck me in and read me a bedtime story?"**

I heard him gulp and his eyes grew deeply dilated. He was like a timid animal, the slight panic in his eyes was far from unnoticeable and he was nervous.

With slow strides, I walked in front of him and grabbed the clothes from his hand to set them down on the bed. His eyes never broke contact as I leveled with his 6'2 frame. My fingers found his skin and softly traced his arm muscles, trying to get him to remember the familiar touch that was mine, before they wrapped around his neck.

When our chests were pressed together, his breathing hitched and I felt the warmth of this hands radiate from my legs. He didn't touch me, but he wanted to and that was more than enough progress to satisfy me. I stood on my toes, my chin on his shoulder and pressed my lips to his ear,

"**Just relax, it's only me. It's okay if you're nervous…"**

One hand went to his short, cropped hair while the other stayed wrapped around his shoulders to pull him closer and obliterate any distance between us. He hadn't moved, but he would tense every so often to signify his uncomfortableness.

The hand from his shoulders found its way to his chest and trailed down to the waistband of his pants. I pulled my head back to look at him to find his eyes closed and his lips parted slightly. This was the most contact we'd ever had and he was enjoying it, thankfully.

Taking his facial expression as an 'Ok' of sorts, I dipped my hand into his pants and smiled into his chest. Someone decided to go full on commando today, talk about ballsy.

He groaned at my touch and finally returned the favor; his arms went around my waist and pulled me in closer than we already were. I sighed lovingly when his lips kissed my neck and made a trail to my jaw. I was not going to let any matter on this Earth stop this, not a nuclear bomb, not anarchy erupting on the street, not even Merle could fuck this up for me.

I moved my head and our lips connected in a sweet collision that almost instantly turned into a lusty want, a long overdue _**need.**_ He guided me backwards until the back of my knees hit the bed and we fell on it. His hands were running up and down my sides, from my ribcage to my thighs, yet my hands stayed in place. Acknowledging the chance to finally feel him, my arms ran over his back through his shirt. I wanted to rip the damn thing off, but instead I slid my hands under his shirt to feel his hard-

Wait a minute…what was I feeling here? It wasn't smooth everywhere only patches here and there; underneath my fingertips I felt lines…hicks?

Scratches from another woman? No, these were too deep to hold any pleasure… they were heavily inflicted.

Scars…bruises…injuries…but from what? How long have they been there? Why didn't he tell me, why didn't_** I**_ notice, and _**WHO **_was the sorry son of a bitch who did this to him?

I realized that I was just lying there, unresponsive to him as I tried to understand my contemplating mind. My brows burrowed in confusion and question and my eyes were darting to try and find an image in my mind to place what I felt.

He was watching me, and for the first time in forever I wasn't sure what was in his eyes. It was hate, sadness, fury, a plea for help, rage, depression…his walls were crumbling. He tore my hands from him and stood, looking down at me and knowing I had discovered something that I shouldn't. I sat up and gazed at him, my eyes full of sorrow.

"**What the hell happened to you? You get cut in a fight or somethin'?"**

He didn't answer, his face was blank and I knew what was happening.

"**Dammit Daryl, don't you dare try ta' shut me out! That silent shit don't work with me 'member? I don't fall for it! Now tell me what the hell happened to you!"**I growled.

I wasn't angry at him, but I was annoyed at the fact that he had gotten hurt, who knows how long ago, and didn't bother telling me.

He was still silent. I stood up, jaw clenched and fists by my sides. He stared to leave and I grabbed his shoulder to turn him around and he flinched away as if I'd just burned him.

"**Don't! Just don't! I don't need yer sorry ass looks or yer fuckin' pitty! I got my ass handed to me by my drunk ass Daddy, that's what happened! Every damn day my skin got tore up from my old man an' he ain't give two shits 'bout it, no matter how hard I screamed! How hard I cried! 'Leven years old havin' ta take the role of a man n' protect my Ma from him an' she 'probly ain't even know who I was! Hell, she was so doped up she ain't know she had kids half the time! He treated me like I wasn't his an' I ain't have nobody! Merle was locked away an' I had to face that shit by myself, I had ta fend for myself, **_**by myself!**_** I wasn't nothin' but a damn baby! But you think he cared? You think he gave a shit 'bout me or Merle? You think he gave a shit when I went out an' got lost in them damn woods almost 2 weeks?!"**

Everything had come out, all the years of keeping it locked away deep down so that it could be forgotten, had come out in a single angry lash. All he needed was an outlet, and there it was.

He stood there huffing and fuming, eyes like daggers and face losing its angered red shade.

"_Don't say anything, not a single word. He doesn't need your opinion. This is his closure, his problem, and his release. You have __**no**__ say here."_

My eyes filled with tears at the thought of how much pain he went through and as a child, a _**child **_for Christ's sake!An innocent baby who should be thinking about Santa Clause and cartoons had so much weight thrown onto him with no choice but to take the hits and keep on going. He had to have a strong mentality because not everyone could deal with such an enormous amount of pain on a daily basis; I don't think I could've survived one day of it. I'd be the first to run far away.

The thing is, I've had friends who've told me about their fucked up lives whether it be destroyed by drugs, alcohol, gambling, abortions, domestic disputes, and I've helped them get better lives….but this…this was so surreal and out of my reach that I was rendered speechless. What could I possibly do to help him? It's not like I could just kiss his scars away along with the memories they held. I couldn't do anything to his Dad except stomp on his grave, wherever it may be. I couldn't yell at Merle for being so irresponsible and getting locked away, well actually I could, but the way he said it made me think that Merle was unaware of this violence in his absence…maybe Merle was the one taking the hits for Daryl when they were kids…

I wasn't crying, but the overflown tears rolled down my cheeks as I thought of what probably happened in his past and how he just dealt with it as it was nothing.

He must have seen the tears because he walked in front of me and wiped them away with his thumb; I looked up at him, tears still threatening to escape. He gently grabbed my chin.

"**Get some sleep…" **

As his hand dropped I caught his palm and squeezed it tightly. I felt horrible, but I knew he wouldn't want to talk about it anytime soon. Even in my bizarre mindset, I knew he needed comforting and he knew it too. I pulled him back as I scooted over in the bed so he could lay down, I thought he was going to leave and I'd have to watch my most valuable friend walk out of my life for good, but he got in. When he was settled, his back against the wall, I rested next to him, my face immediately burring in his chest, tears still full in my eyes. His arms slowly wrapped around me and gave a tight tug almost to secure I wouldn't leave.

I didn't realize what had happened until my brain was shutting down...

He was comforting _**me**_.

In that moment, this side of Daryl Dixon would forever be burned into my memory.


	2. No One Gets Left Behind

**_A/N: Heywo guys! So, I'm gonna skip through some parts of the story because it'd take forever to write all that chiz. My plan is to just write about the important episodes, give a little summary of the events leading up to the current chapter, and skip along or write a short chapter for character bonding purposes. Cheers! :3 (Be warned there is lots of foul, Dixon influenced language ahead)_**

_It had only been a day after our squabble when the world seemed to be going to shit. The radios and TV's screamed about the dead rising and attacking the living, thus spreading an unknown disease along with save havens set up by the military. People were running the streets, stealing and packing cars to get away from the mass corpses attacking everyone; helicopters were bombing the city and we'd be next. Merle and Daryl came with me as I had to get weapons for myself back at my house. I grabbed my father's Strother SX Rush342, a compound bow he'd given me on my 12th birthday, and the .45 ACP NightHwak__ from the hall closet before we were off. We were headed to one of the deemed safe spots when we came across some people backed up on the road. Shane, a cop, had informed us that the place we were headed was a dead end. He was with a woman named Lori and her son Carl,and another family consisting of Ed, Carol, and their daughter Sophia. We formed an unknown union as we traveled. We adopted a few members into our group: an older man named Dale and his RV, a silent mechanic: Jim, another couple:T-Dog and Jaqci, a pair of sisters: Amy and Andrea, a Spanish family of 4, a Korean boy, around my age, Glenn and a few others. After a while, we settled in the mountains on the far outskirts of the ruined and overrun city._

"Gonna** eat good tonight, real good!"** I chortled as I dragged the tied up deer behind me.

After we sent 6 people to Atlanta on a supply run, Daryl went off hunting and so did I. We didn't go together because I for one needed some seclusion and I know he did too; we had quite a bit of people in our group and it seemed like there was no privacy unless you had to piss. I had a different way of hunting, a way that Daryl wouldn't be comfortable with, but it was perfect for me because of how agile I was. I'd use the bladder of an animal and spread it out on some bushes, making use of the hormonal properties, and climb into the treetops. You wouldn't know I was there until it was too late and it was all over for the buck that came along thinking he'd found a mate. He was a big one, nice and bulky; he'd last us maybe a week and a few days. I'd left not long after Daryl, so we'd be coming back around the same time so maybe he could drag the damn thing back to camp could do.

A soft rustling stopped me immediately and about 10 feet away was another buck, this one a girl. She was eating something from a bush, probably berries. **"****Two in one day? Damn I'm good."** I smirked.

With the rope my buck was tied up with, I made a makeshift pulley system and hauled it on a high branch just in case a Walker strolled through. I was perched directly on top of her while she continued munching; I pulled the string back and aimed. Her head snapped up, ears twitched, and legs spread and she sprinted away after a familiar green bow got her in the thigh. I heard faint rustling before I saw him come under my perch; he was covered in sweat and reloading another bow, a string of squirrels over his left shoulder. Even covered in dirt, he was the sexiest man I'd ever seen and I took my time in gawking over his manliness. He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand and started after the deer and as quickly as he appeared, he was gone. After collecting my buck, I followed his scarce trail.

Upon reaching the outskirt of our camp, I heard some of the men arguing and picked up my pace to meet their voices. Glenn, Dale, Shane, Jim, Morales, and Daryl were in a semi-circle and Daryl was yelling at Dale. In the middle of them lie the deer Daryl was chasing after, two bows in her thigh along with a huge gash, and a beheaded geek.

**"****Come on people, what the hell? It's gotta be in the brain! Don't y'all know nothin'?" **With that he shot the thing in its head. Coming into view, I saw Andrea and Amy leave with revolted expressions and met everyone's attack stance along with cocked guns. The Atlanta group must have gotten back.

**"'Less one of ya's man enough to pull the trigger, y'all best get them guns outta my face!"** I scolded and they quickly lowered their weapons. I smirked and met Daryl's uneven brows.

**"****The hell you comin' from?"**

**"The beautiful state of None-Of-Your-Damn-Business."** I heard Glenn try to suppress a laugh and Daryl glared at him, making him look away.

I was the only one who talked to Daryl and Merle however I pleased and they rarely did the same. That's just how we worked as a family, all the years we had behind us showed how comfortable we were with each other. The people of our group wouldn't dare talk out of tone to either of the Dixon boys, or myself for that matter.

Daryl looked me over and then at the buck before confronting Shane, sheer annoyance spilling out on his face.

**"****You let 'er go out on her own, just watched 'er waltz off the damn camp?! The hell kinda sense that make? We already got too many people out and ya' just let 'er wander off?! She coulda got bit or stranded someplace and y'all wouldn't know what the fuck ta' do!"**

**"****She told Dale she was leavin' so he could keep a eye out and nobody's complainin' over some additional meat. She would've been fine, she ****_is _****fine**. **She came back in one piece didn't she? And she replaced your haul, might have to let 'er go huntin' more often."** Shane gave a supportive smile to his defense as Daryl kept his scowl.

**"C'mon ladies, kiss and make up."** I teased as Dale chuckled. Shane puckered his lips and Daryl groaned. We started making our way back to camp when I encountered an unacquainted pair of blue eyes, shaved brown hair, and a white t-shirt on a toned chest. I was about to ask who he was when Morales and Jim took the buck from me, smiling appreciatively.

As we went past a few tents, I heard Sophia's angelic voice call my name as she skipped to me.

**"Zayla! Your back!"** She squealed happily as she hugged me.

Sophia was at least 12 years old and she was the most innocent child I'd ever met. She didn't whine or complain about anything and she usually hung out with Carl or Eliza when she wasn't with her mother. She was a shy kid, but she was the light in our darkness; one smile from her could make your heart melt. She was as kind as her mother and just as sweet. I had made it a priority to keep an eye out for Carol and Sophie because of Ed, the lazy grizzly bear that was Carol's husband. He was a lousy excuse for a father and the domestic abuse going on with he and Carol was evident; Carol apparently could deal with it, but the second I'd see him lay a finger on Sophia would be the day I'd strangle his lummox ass.

**"Hey angel, you been good, stayin' out of trouble?"**

**"Yes ma'am. I picked a buncha' pretty flowers with 'Liza while you were gone."**

**"Did you? How's about we make you girls flower crowns then? After all, princesses need tiaras."** I saw her eyes light up in awe as she smiled; little girl had me wrapped around her finger and she didn't even know it. Carol came in back of her and rested a hand on her shoulder.

**"Sophie, you go on and color okay? Zayla's probably really tired from hunting and needs a bit of rest."**

**"Okay, Mommy. Bye Zayla!"** She ran off and Carol and I shared a smile.

**"She missed you so much. Every two seconds, 'Is Zayla back? When's she comin' back Mommy? How long 'till she comes back? You think she'll bring us a bear?' Almost drove me crazy."** She smiled before frowning at my clothes.

**"Oh for heaven's sake, look at your clothes! What'd you do, get into a brawl with the dirt?"** I giggled at her.

**"Hey Carol, who's the new guy?"** She stiffened. Carol was easy to read and from the look on her face, I knew this guy had a story on his head. She sighed and looked down at her fidgeting fingers.

**"That's Rick, Lori's husband come back from death…Carl couldn't be happier, he was bawling like a baby when he saw him. He and Shane were friends, partners at the station. He got the group from Atlanta out of a very sticky situation but um…"**

**"Lemme guess, Merle again?"** Her eyes shot up to mine when I said his name. So Merle did something foolish and it had to be pretty bad from the way she spoke. Before I could ask what he'd done, I heard mixed masculine voices shouting again. Jogging towards the sound, I saw Shane throw Daryl backwards as T-Dog yelled something about a knife. Now Shane, Daryl, T-Dog, and the new guy, Rick, were all in a tangled scuffle before Shane got Daryl in a choke hold.

**"****Choke holdin's illegal!" **

**"****You can file a complaint. Come on man, we'll keep at this all day****." **I wanted to get in between then and give Shane a piece of my fist for treating Daryl like that. In my eyes, he was showing his ass off for his old boot camp buddy and I wasn't having it. I was hot, sweaty, and covered in a foul dirt-deer blood mix; I'm not putting up with their crap right now.

I was about to give them all something to fight about, when Glenn grabbed my arm.

**"****Zayla! Hey, hey! Good to see you, I missed you on the run. Looks like you went hunting how'd that go? You talk to Sophia yet? She's been dying to see you." **Glenn and I were good friends. We talked about the videogames we used to play and the ones that were to come out before the apocalypse, our favorite TV shows and how we'd binge watch 12 hour movie marathons, and all our favorite music. We had a lot in common. He'd tell me about how crazy it was growing up in a house full of girls and I told him the insanity that came with being around the Dixon boys. He was one of the few people who I'd actually want to talk to, he wasn't annoying and he was really useful on runs. Other than Carol, Dale, and the boys of course, he could calm me down almost immediately.

Forgetting about the brawl for a second, I gave in.

**"It went really well, caught us a big ol' buck. Good thing I went, cause Daryl-"** Remembering what was more important, I shoved passed Glenn, only to hear T-Dog explaining something to a still enraged, but calmer Daryl. Still not impressed, Daryl threw his hands up and yelled at Rick before Lori emerged from the RV and commented. As they were about to disperse, all eyes fell on me, filled with anxiety.

**"****Shit." **Daryl mumbled before dropping his crossbow and crouching into a position as if he were about to catch a hurdling baseball. Still in the dark about the whole situation, I furrowed my eyebrows at Shane, silently requesting an explanation.

**"****I ain't tellin' her, y'all can kiss my little white ass. Dale or the china boy better tell 'er, she won't break them. Your bed's been made Rick, you boutta' go toe-to-toe with the devil's daughter. Nice knowin' ya' brother."** He leaned on the RV, arms firmly crossed and jaw cranking in circles while looking at the tensed faces of the group. Dale and Rick stepped a few feet in back of Daryl, still in his catcher's stance, before Dale sighed.

**"****Zayla, sweetheart, you're not gonna like what I'm about to tell you, but it needs to be said. There was a…disagreement of sorts with the group coming back. As you can see everyone's here…except Merle…he's…still in Atlanta…handcuffed to a roof…by Rick, this gentlemen here, who is in fact a police officer…he did what he felt was best as Merle was being irrational…now we're going to-"**

I had heard enough; how **_dare_** they leave him behind? Granted, Merle was a drug addicted, egotistical, asshole, but he was still a human being; he was still **_my brother_**. Since when did we start taking commands from a supposed dead man anyway, he turns up out of nowhere and everyone's kissing his ass like he resurrected Christ himself?!

A barbaric growl ripped from my throat as I dropped Stro and charged for the new guy, right leg's hunting knife bared and eyes wild. I practically pulled Daryl back with me, nearly to Rick's face, as I jumped into his awaiting grasp. One hand was trying to claw Daryl off and the other frantically swinging the knife that I wanted to plunge into the newcomer's throat.

**"****Get your hands off me! Ya' left him for the geeks you fuckin' animal! I'll slit yer throat you white-trash, pig, son of a bitch! I'll skin yer sorry ass alive, you wait! Fuckin' hick bastard, that's my brother ya' left for the dead! Redneck asshole, I'll castrate ya'! Dammit get off me, LET ME GO DARYL!" **I swear I heard him laugh into my restrained side. His arms were enclosed around the small of my back in an intense bear hug that I couldn't get out of. Dale looked so disappointed as he came to my side and I saw the fear in Rick's eyes, despite his impassive face. Daryl set me down and had my arms locked behind my back making me drop the knife, but I was nonstop to get at Rick.

**"****Wild lil' demon ain't she? See whatcha' gotta deal with now Sheriff?" **Daryl commented darkly as Dale came into my eyeshot.

**"****Zayla, honey you've got to calm down."**

**"****Go to hell, Dale! He let my brother die, practically killed him with his bare hands, and y'all actin' like he's a damn hero! If ya' had to leave someone behind, y'all shoulda left that good for nothin' blonde bitch!"**

**"****He's fine…he ****_should_**** be fine. T said he locked the door to the roof so those things can't get to him. If he stayed put-"**

**"****That was yesterday, get realistic Dale! He coulda died from heat stroke or starved ta' death! The fuckin' vultures is probably pickin' at his bones by now!" **

**"****Z, cool it!" **Daryl barked and I obeyed, resting my back on his chest with jagged breathing.

**"****If anybody got the right ta' be furious, it's me. As much as I wanna let ya' loose so you can skin the fucker alive, that ain't gonna help none. Quit yer beefin' girl, we gonna go get him."**

**"Fine."** I growled. **"You can let me go now."**

**"****You think I'm stupid? Ya' ain't getting' outta this grip till' he's within runin' distance, 'least give the poor bastard a chance." **Picking me up so my arms were mounted to my sides, he carried me to my tent to get a new pair of clothes before ushering me to the creek used to wash in. Arms still folded, he turned his back to me as I rinsed and changed. Arriving back on camp, T-Dog had Stro and my knife and gave them to me when we crossed paths.

**"****It's not his fault Zayla; I dropped the keys down a pipe. I was the last one with him, the only one that wanted to go back for him. "**

**"You cuff him up there?"**

**"****No, that was ****Rick****, but-"**

**"Then it is his fault. I appreciate you going back for him, I know you two aren't on the best of terms cause he's a racist idiot, but you still tried to help him. _He_ didn't. If Merle's dead, blue eyes is responsible for spillin' blood and trust me T, you don't wanna be on my mind when it comes to that."**

Daryl was waiting in the white cube truck and he pulled me up in the back; he had his legs dangling out and was primping his crossbow, checking on me from the corner of his eye. I sat next to him, back on the wall, and started sharpening my bows, impatiently waiting. When we finally started driving, all I could think was that Merle could be dead and the son of a bitch responsible was just sitting fancy.

_"__I can't believe you girlie. Son of a bitch admitted straight to yer face he offed me and ya' just sittin' there. No redemption fer ol' Merle huh? Thought I 'ment more to ya' then that, thought we was blood…guess yer just like the rest of 'em…don't give a shit 'bout us Dixons…thought you __**were**__ a Dixon..." _

Merle's voice drowned my thoughts as we drove. My eyes were closed, head slumped between my legs, and I clutched a fistful of arrows with Stro at my feet.

**"****He'd better be okay."**

**"****It's my only word on the matter. I told you the geeks can't get at him, the only thing that's gonna get through that door is us."**

As soon as the truck stopped I was up and had the door open; I disregarded Rick's hand to help me down. I knew where the group was stranded, as I'd been to the place on runs before. I climbed up and over the fence, not being bothered to wait for them to cut a hole. When we finally reached the roof, T-Dog took no time in cutting the chains, just like he said. Daryl and I burst through it.

**"****Merle, Merle? No…No!" **There on the abandoned roof lie a severed hand, dried blood around the stump. Daryl was crying enraged tears as we stood side by side and stared at the limb. He turned to T-Dog, crossbow loaded and ready to kill when Rick held his gun to his head.

**"****I won't hesitate. I don't care if every walker in the city hears it."**

**"Neither will I."** I had my .45 at his temple, I never used guns when killing geeks because it was too loud, so the piece usually stayed in the back waistband of my pants. Tears streaming down my cheeks, I was ready to hear the bullet crack a hole through his skull. Daryl and Rick lowered their weapons.

**"****There's no need to increase the body count-" **

I pulled the hammer and the heart stopping sound made Glenn gasp.

**"****Look, look there's a trail! He got away and we can find him! He's probably hold up in one of the stores! I'll bet he's waiting for you Zayla, let's go find him."**Glenn was desperate at trying to calm the situation down; from the corner of my eye I saw the droplets of blood leading off the roof. He got out and for Rick's sake, he'd **_better_** be alive.


	3. Rescue Team or Rescue Me?

T-Dog retrieved a bag of tools before we followed the trail off the roof and into an office. Daryl shot a Walker down and found 2 more Walkers had already been killed.

**"****Had enough in him to take out these sons a bitches, one handed. Toughest asshole I ever met, my brother. Feed 'em a hammer he'd crap out nails."**

**"****Any man can pass out from blood loss, no matter how tough he is."**

**"And whose fault is that, Sargent Handcuffs?"**

I scorned and purposely brushed shoulders with Rick as we continued following the trail to a kitchen-like area. When we entered, portable ethanol burners to a stove where on a counter with Merle's belt lying on top of it; there was some kind of charred substance on the burners that looked…fleshy. I took one of the unlit burners and put in the tool bag.

**"****What's that burnt stuff?" **Daryl asked as he inched closer to the unknown substance.

**"****Skin, he cauterized the stump."**

**"****Told you he was tough. Nobody can kill Merle but Merle."**

I was looking out of the shattered window as they spoke; Merle's vest was caught on a piece of glass and was flowing with the faint breeze. He was a tough guy, anyone who's ever met Merle knows that, and I knew it all too well because I was the one who had to pull a knife out of his shoulder when one of his 'girlfriends' caught him cheating. Tough bastard barely flinched. He was in the military too, so he had endurance; he could withstand some severe circumstances…but Rick was right. He lost a lot of blood, he's wondering aimlessly around an infested city, he's dehydrated, probably hallucinating, and we have no idea where he could have gone. This was a wild goose chase that possibly ended hours ago. I grabbed his vest…were we too late?

**"****Zayla? We need you over here, this plan calls for 5."**

Glenn's voice snapped my focus back to reality as I put Merle's vest on and joined the group. Glenn made a model of the street and explained each of our roles to us. T-Dog and Rick would be in one alley while Daryl and I would wait for him in another to come in when he retrieved the bag of guns. We nodded and dispersed.

**"****You got some balls for a Chinaman."**

**"He's Korean."**

** "****I'm Korean."**

Glenn and I said in synchrony. I smiled at him before he ran off.

I peered from the wall to watch him as Daryl did; his chin was almost resting on my head and he was pressed into to me from the waist down.

**"I know it's nice and everything, but you mind gettin' off my ass?"** He stepped back and cleared his throat. Suddenly, he had his crossbow aimed at someone behind him; I thought it was a Walker before I heard him speak

**"****Woah, don't shoot me! Who are you? What do you want?"**

**"****I'm lookin' for my brother. He's hurt, you seen him?"**

**"**_**Ayúdame**_*******!"**

**"****Shut up! You're gonna bring the geeks on us!"**

**"**_**Ayúdame!** _**_Ayúdame! Ayúdame_!"**

There were a few Walkers who were close enough to be attracted by the yelling and they were starting to come investigate. Glenn was almost here and I could pick them off, but I'd be exposed when I went to retrieve my bows. The sounds of blows landing made me jerk around; there were two more Mexican men beating on Daryl. Glenn had rounded the corner with the bag and a Sherriff's hat before I could react.

**"****That's it! That's the bag, vato*********!** **Get the chica* too!" **

Their attention was now on Glenn and I as they charged for us and tried to take the bag. The one that came for me got Stro out of my hands and was dragging me to a car. I was thrashing wildly before he screamed and dropped me; he had an arrow in his ass. I grabbed Glenn's hand, with the bag in it, and tried to pull him out when I threw the bag and got pulled in; I tried to yell for Daryl when everything went dark.

I awoke with a groan and a small headache; my hands and legs were tapped to a chair.

**"****Zayla, you're awake."**

**"Ugh, I feel like my head's swimming in tequila…"**

**"****That's the chloroform wearing off. We've been out for a while and I don't know where we are. They took all our stuff. I'm good at escaping, but you're the expert at breaking out of things. What's the plan?"**

**"Ok, we need to be back to back for this to work. I'm gonna-"**

The door opened and we were blindfolded before being hauled up a flight of stairs; I felt the warm breeze and escalation and knew we had to be on a rooftop. I could faintly hear Rick's voice before we were dragged back down the stairs and into a new set of chairs. My blindfold was gently lifted from my eyes and I saw the men that captured us along with a new man and old woman.

**"_Hola queridos_*, are you hungry, would you like something to eat? Come, come, I'll show you around and we'll get you taken care of!"**

The older woman took Glenn and me by our hands and led us around what looked like a nursing home; there were old people everywhere. She introduced Guillermo, Felipe, and a few others and told us how they protected their little refuge against Walkers and other groups who tried to overrun them. Without the Vatos men, these people would have died a long time ago and they were eternally grateful for their protection against the evil of this new world, both dead and alive. We stopped in a gymnasium were some of the elderly were playing and exercising; they kept smiling, hugging, and giving me sweet compliments.

**"****They like seeing _niñas_ around here, younger ones at least. They say women can take care of anyone better than a man ever could, that it's a second nature to them since they're made to be mothers."**

Guillermo smiled as another woman came and told me I reminded her of her granddaughter.

**"****We could use you around here. You make them smile and they don't have much to be happy for. They like you, and you could help take care of things around here. Not to mention, you'll get free Spanish lessons daily."**

I chuckled. Guillermo wasn't such a bad person after all; he could've left all these people here or thrown them out, but he didn't. He was protecting them because it was the right thing to do, it was the **_humane_** thing to do and I respected him for that.

"As much as I'd love to be admired by old people every day, I've got a family of my own to protect. Though I might have to take you up on those lessons while I'm here."

He nodded in understanding when Felipe wobbled in and regarded him in Spanish.

**"****We've got business to attend to. That offer still stands **_**bella** **dama**_*******, think it over."**

As soon as he left, one of the elderly men started having trouble breathing as we swarmed around him. The woman from earlier went to fetch Felipe for his medicine. Glenn and I coaxed him into calmer breathing for a few minutes when Felipe came in with an inhaler; Guillermo, Rick, Daryl, and T-Dog followed after.

**"****Zayla, you okay? Lemme see ya'. What'd they do to ya'? You hurt, did they touch ya'?"** I couldn't get a word out before Daryl was looking over me for any signs of mistreatment.

"I'm fine, Daryl. Geeze, will you stop it with the mothering?"

**"****We thought y'all was in here bein tourtured, gettin' ate up by dogs."**

**"Oh we were! All these horrible seniors damn near killed us with kind words and rice pudding. I almost cried when they started hugging me and those vicious Chihuahuas are sooo scary."**

A deal was made with an even distribution of the guns and our stuff was returned to Glenn and me before we headed out to get back to camp. When we arrived to where we parked the cub truck, it was nowhere to be found; there weren't even any tire tracks to follow.

**"****Told ya' he was alive. He's gonna wreak hell on the camp lookin' for ya', Rick."**

Rick sighed annoyingly as we headed back to camp on foot.

Merle was the worst when he was angry, but he was royally pissed off now...we'd be lucky if there was a camp to go back to.

*Help

*dude

*girl

*Hello dears,

*pretty lady

_***Sorry for the wait, school's a pain! I'll be skipping a bit for the next chapter. Rate and review my lovely vixens!***_


	4. Never Loose Your Flames

**_A/N ( I do not own The Walking Dead, its characters, or script. Full credit goes to the official screenwriters and producers of the show.)_**

**_Huge thanks to redangel2463! So*spoiler alert* you guys are going to be so pissed off at me for this chapter, but don't worry, I shall fulfill your needs! Let's get this bus on the track! (Wait, what?) _**

**Never Loose Your Flames**

When we got back to camp it was like walking through the gates of hell; Walkers were everywhere, eating and attacking our people. Shane was protecting Lori and Carl all the while directing anyone unbitten. Rick ran to help them as Daryl and I picked them off back to back, trying to prevent any more losses even though the death toll was escalating by the second.

After what seemed like centuries, the screaming and gunfire finally stopped; the smell of blood and dead bodies left a foul stench in the air as well as the terrified sobs of children. We lost a lot of people, more than half were dead and I couldn't imagine how many we'd have to kill ourselves. We worked through the night burning bodies and stopping the suffering of anyone who was bitten as Rick made it crystal clear that this situation needed to be quarantined to the fullest. Jacqui and I were lugging a corpse to the burn pile when Rick whistled for me to join to him and Daryl.

**"****What's up?"**

**"****We've got a little problem. Amy got bit and Andrea's takin' it really hard. She won't put her down and we're running out of time before she wakes up. I don't want to be hostile-"**

**"****We've got a hazard lying over there just waitin' to get up 'cause she's being irrational. We take care of this ****_now, _****hostile or not. What's the plan?"**

**"****We take the damn shot. That girl's a time bomb and ya' got two people here who could hit a turkey right between the eyes from this distance."**

Daryl answered for Rick and he was right. He said that the situation needed to be isolated to avoid any more disasters and there was a huge one laying not 5 feet away from us. As much as I'd like to give Andrea time to mourn, these circumstances were entirely different and she was endangering what was left of our group. Rick was about to speak when a gunshot cut him off, and Andrea started crying as Lori held her. Rick sighed tiredly and wiped his face.

**"****Obviously we aren't staying here, so let's get this done so we can figure out where we're headed."**

After we were done with the bodies, everyone found out that Jim had been bit. Of course Daryl was first on board for killing him then and there, but Shane suggested going to the CDC to try and help him as he heard they were working on a cure for this mess. Our destination was set and when we packed the cars for our trip, Morales and his family announced that they weren't coming with us; we said our goodbyes and were on the road. Daryl wanted me to ride with him and I gratefully accepted as there was no more room in any of the other cars.

The warm breeze blowing in from was relaxing as I had my legs hanging out the window and my head in Daryl's lap, watching him blush every time we hit a bump and I rubbed against him. Halfway through our trip, I could hear Jim's strangled screaming and we stopped all together as he decided he wanted to be left behind, giving him hugs before we were on the road again.

We got to the CDC about an hour before nightfall and it looked completely deserted apart from the hundreds of, hopefully dead, Walkers scattered around the parking lot. There were metal shields covering the entrances and I had a bad feeling about all of us being out in the open like sitting ducks. Surely enough, my gut was right as a horde of Walkers came stumbling to the sounds of Rick and Shane trying to get someone to open the doors along with Sophia's whimpering. We were so screwed, there were way too many Walkers to hold off and just when I was sure we were done for, the barriers rose and we piled in. A man awaited us, a rifle in hand, and told us we'd have to submit to a blood test if we wanted to stay here.

After everyone was tested, Dr. Jenner was gracious enough to let us stay. He laid down some ground rules about using the water and electricity, showed us what rooms we could stay in, and gave us some medicine. He made us a feast of spaghetti with **_lots_** of wine. Everyone, excluding the Mothers and Jenner, was pretty shitfaced and had a bottle to their self; Daryl found a few bottles of harder liquor and gave me one while pouring more into Glenn's cup.

**"****Keep drinkin' little man. I wanna see how red your face can get."**

**"****I can-can get drink, get more of some, have uhh..."**

We all laughed at Glenn's slurred speech as our little party continued; Jacqui found a stereo and tuned it to an upbeat pop-track, making me jump up to dance.

**"****Alright! Someone's dancin' with me tonight!" **

I cheered as Jacqui joined me and the rest watched in amusement. She grabbed T-Dog as I hauled Rick and Lori to their feet; Glenn laughed as Andrea grinded on him. Carol, who was blushing through nervous laughs, and Dale were dancing as Sophia and Carl were giggling as they did same. I pulled Shane up and danced with him before I eyed Daryl and beckoned for him to join. He took another swig of his bottle, pulled me away from Shane and joined the small crowd. He wasn't wasted, but he was certainly more relaxed when he drank as his hands explored my sides and he laughed in my ear every so often. Lori and Carol took the kids to the rec room as the song came to an end and everyone was stumbling to bed. I was still trying to make the most of the party as I was dancing to my own music on top a table.

**"****He-hey Daryl, get up here and let's have some fun!"**

**"****C'mon, you've had enough for one night girl."**

**"****Oooo, we goin' back to your room? Now that's gonna be real fun!"**

I pulled my shirt off and grabbed a bottle as Daryl hauled me over his shoulder. I couldn't stop laughing as he walked through the halls, to his room, and laid me on the bed.

**"****Haven't seen ya' this wasted in a while, Giggles."**

**"…"**

**"****Zayla?"**

I had my eyes closed and was ready to black out in drunken bliss, still clutching the bottle I brought with me. Daryl exhaled and took the bottle from my hand before he started taking off my boots. He undid my pants, tugged them off, and was hovering over me to get Merle's vest off when I wrapped my arms and legs around him.

**"****You owe me."**

I purred as I started roughly kissing him. Surprisingly, he kissed me back with the same hunger as I pulled his shirt up, wasting no time on foreplay. He was biting at my neck when I got to his pants and he kicked them off along with his shoes; he pulled my panties off with is teeth, hooked one of my legs in his arm and entered me, a grateful moan escaping my lips.

I awoke to a splintering headache and I groaned. Before the turn I wasn't such a lightweight, but it's been almost a year since I've had a drink. My arm was dangling off the bed clutching an almost empty bottle of Vodka as I rubbed my eyes and scanned the room through my messy hair. Some of my clothes were hanging off the end of the bed along with a muscular arm. I squinted in confusion and peered over the edge to see Daryl lying on the floor in his boxers and no shirt. _"__Must have followed him in here last night." _I thought as I plopped into the covers. I smelled what I hoped was breakfast and quickly dressed, earning a horrible pain from my head, and threw Daryl's shoes at him in an attempt to wake him up before going to the dining area. I had my head face down on the table next to Glenn as T-Dog cooked and the rest of our group gathered for breakfast. Sophia sat next to me and laid her cheek on the table to try and look at me through my messy locks.

**"****Zayla are you hung out like Carl's Dad and Glenn?"**

**"****Hungover, Sophie.**

**"****Ohh."**

**"****And yes I am." **

**Do you feel bad?"**

**"****Mmmhmm."**

**"****Why do people drink if it makes them feel bad? There's no joy in being sick."**

**"****Cause it's all fun and games 'til you wake up with a jackhammer gnawing at your head."**

She giggled and I pulled my head up to smile.

**"****Woah. Zayla, what happened?"** Jacqui asked from across the table.

She pointed at me and I looked to where the sleeve of my shirt had fallen off my shoulder to see a mark of some kind. I couldn't see it very well, but it almost looked like a hickey. I pulled my shirt up and shrugged. Yesterday night was such a haze and all I could remember is dancing with Glenn and…going back to my room? Daryl must have taken me since he was sleeping in there and we probably passed out; this wasn't my first time drinking with him. Breakfast was passed out as a bottle of aspirin circled the table. When Dr. Jenner joined us, we greeted him warmly and Dale was the first to speak.

**"****I don't mean to slam you with questions first thing in the morning-"**

**"****But you will anyway." **

**"****Well, we didn't come for the eggs."**

Jenner nodded and led us all into a big room full of computers and a huge screen occupying one wall.

**"****VI, give me a playback of TS-19. Scan forward to the first event."**

_Playback of TS-19, scanning to first event _

A image of a 3D brain came on to the big screen before it zoomed out to show the shoulders of a body. The brain was lit as bright blue threads were sparking everywhere inside the skull, but as the video progressed, the brain became dark and so did the threads before a red glow came from the base of the brain. The body started moving its jaw and arms before the barrel of a gun pointed down on its forehead and a bullet ripped through the red stems of the brain and head with a flash.

**"****VI, power down the main screen."**

_Powering down main screen_

**"****That was a recording of Test Subject 19, someone who was bitten and infected. The participant volunteered to have the process of the infection recorded for testing purposes so we could try to study the reaction and find a cure. It invades the brain and shuts it down first, then the organs, and finally death. Everything that person ever was, is gone. The time it takes to reanimates differs extremely as the shortest report was three minutes and the longest was eight hours. This disease gets the body up and moving and the newly awakened vessel is solely driven on mindless instincts. There haven't been any updates on a cure or even an outline for one and all my work was destroyed. My wife, TS-19, died for nothing…you see that countdown clock?"**

He pointed to a wall that displayed a clock with red numbers that had an hour to go.

**"****When it gets to zero, the basement generators will have run out and the system will guide all lingering power to keep the computers running. After that, the system will issue a facility wide decontamination at the hands of the H. ."**

He punched something into a control pad and a steel door came down on the exit, trapping us in. Daryl, Shane and I were desperately trying to pry the door open.

**"****VI, define H.I.T.s"**

_H.I.T.s- High impulse thermos baric fuel-air explosives consist of two-stage aerosol ignition that produces a blast wave of significantly greater power and duration than any other known explosive except nuclear. The vacuum pressure effect ignites the oxygen between 5,000 and 6,000 degrees and is useful when the greatest loss of life and damage to structures is desired._

**"****In simpler terms, it sets the air on fire. It'll be a quick and painless death, you won't even feel it."**

_5 minutes to decontamination_

**"****You don't control when I die, yer not a fucking God!"**

**"****Open the doors Jenner!"**

Carol and Sophia were crying, Lori was holding a sobbing Carl, and Andrea was slumped down against one of the desks. Shane found fire axes and gave one to Daryl as they tried again to reopen the door.

**"****If you think that door will budge, I can assure you it won't. Those shields were made to withstand rocket launchers, nevertheless the raw strength of a lawless cop, tomboy, and half-drunk redneck." **

Daryl stopped pounding at the door and made his way to Jenner.

**"****I bet yer head ain't! I'll bust yer fuckin' face open!"**

**"****Daryl don't!"**

**"****Let 'em do it! Crack that fucker's head open!"**

**"****Mommy! I don't want to die!"**

**"****Please, Doctor. Don't make my baby do this!"**

**"****Rick!"**

He swung the axe at Jenner's head before Shane and Rick pulled him back and he threw his bottle at the door. Carol was bawling as she clutched Sophia and Jacqui looked as if what this nut job was saying made perfect sense. Shane stormed off only to return with a loaded shotgun, pushed passed Rick, and aimed it in Jenner's face. Rick wrestled the gun from Shane, hitting him with the butt of it to ensure he'd stay down, and handed it to T-Dog.

**"****Jenner, I understand your feeling of loss, I lost my wife and son. But I found them, and you know why? Because I didn't give up trying. You wanna know why this group is still alive, still surviving? It's because we're trying, every hour of everyday we're trying to be safe, we're trying to keep our families safe. You tried, you tried your hardest. You were the only scientist left and you didn't stop your work. You let us in here because we're survivors and because you know we can take on whatever's out there…that's all I'm asking. Give us our freedom to survive, our freedom to choose what we want."**

**"****You wanted a chance, there it is. If you're smart, you'll stay."**

_4 minutes to decontamination_

The steel barrier rose and we all sprinted out. Back in the lobby, everyone was trying to break the bullet proof glass when Carol gave Rick a grenade and set it off; we ran through the shattered glass and back to the cars. Carol and Sophia were behind me as we were killing off Walkers that were attracted to the explosion.

**"****Where the hell is Dale?!"**

**"****Andrea and Jacqui, didn't they get out?"**

**"****They stayed behind!"**

**"****We can't leave them!" **

**"****We ain't goin' back !"**

**"****We have to!"**

**"****No, we can't!"**

**"****Start the damn car!"**

**"****We gotta go now!"**

**"****The damn thing's gonna blow!"**

**"****Wait, they're coming! Look, they made it out!"**

Dale and Andrea were franticly running across the parking lot as Rick checked his watch.

**"****Get down, everyone down now!"**

Daryl covered me and not a second later, the earth shook as a huge explosion rumbled the cars and engulfed the building in its flames. When everything stopped shaking, Daryl and I peered through the window to see Dale and Andrea emerge from a sandbag barrier. I groaned tiredly and fell into him, relieved, shaken, and grateful we got out unharmed.

**_~Raaaate and reeeeview and I promise I'l loooove yooouuu!~_**


	5. The Sinner and The Saint Part I

**_Do you guys hate me or what? I just had to torture you because I'm sick like that. ;3 This story's almost at 1000 views! Oh my glob, I love you people XD!(This was one of my 3am writing so excuse any grammar mistakes)_**

**_The Sinner and the Saint, Part I_**

We drove throughout the night, urgently trying to get as far away as possible; we only stopped for bathroom breaks, but we were running low on supplies and have to find somewhere to raid soon. As Daryl and I switched driving shifts, I knew something was up with him. When we were alone, we'd talk about our next move, hunting, memories, or where the hell Merle could be. He was dead silent and I didn't like it, I wasn't used to him completely blocking me out like we were strangers and I was going to find out why he was acting so strange.

I had my back on the door, legs Indian style, arms crossed, and the hardest glare I could manage plastered on my face. He looked at me from the corner of his eye a few times, but he didn't say a word as he chewed his thumb. He always had to be the stubborn ass.

**"****Daryl." **I said sternly and was rewarded with silence.

**"****Daryl Will Dixon, if you don't answer me, I'm gonna flip this car upside down."**

He side eyed me again and that was the final straw. I reached over and pulled the emergency brake, making the truck come to a jerking stop; thankfully we were in the back of everyone else. I pulled the keys out and stuck them in my shirt. He'd have to talk to me now.

**"****The hells wrong with you girl?! Damn near killed us!"**

**"****What's wrong with you?! You've been avoiding me since we left the CDC! What did I do?"**

**"****Just gimme the keys."**

**"****Tell me what I did."**

**"****I ain't messin' around girl, gimme the damn keys!"**

**"****Answer me!"**

**"****GIMME THE FUCKIN' KEYS!"  
><strong>**"****NO!"**

His body was fully turned to me and I was leaning over into his seat, our eyes locked onto each other in a death stare. He growled and hit the dashboard before putting his head on the steering wheel.

**"****I'm just like 'em."** His voice was low and steady.

**"****Just like Merle, my Pop. I ain't a man 'cause of what I did and this guilt is torture. You ain't gonna wanna be 'round me no more…probably try ta' kill me an' I deserve it. I'm sorry, Z…"**

**"****What are you talking about?"**

**"****Back at the CDC, when we started drinkin'…it all happened so quick and I was actin' off instinct. I was just puttin' ya down, I lost control and you were so…I thought ya' knew what happened from that bite and ya' hated me."**

The lightbulb went off as I pieced it all together and some of the memories cleared in my mind. The bite, the bottles, me waking up half naked with a stinging from my ass…wow Gin really puts holes in my memory; how didn't I realize this earlier? I laughed almost to the point of crying and his head snapped up.

**"****The hell ya' laughin' for?"**

**"****This whole time I was thinkin' I got bit by a Walker or somethin' !"**

I threw the keys back at him and kept laughing to the point where I fell out of my seat and under the glove compartment. Here I was thinking I'd have to sneak away from the group and off myself because of him!

**"****Why you ain't mad at me?"**

**"****Mad? Why would I be mad? I'm glad it was you rather than Shane or Glenn or…ew Dale! Oh gross, he's probably all wrinkly."**

**"****I took advantage of ya'. You were drunk as hell and I was sober enough ta' know it was wrong."**

I sat up, wiping a tear from my red face and trying to get enough air in my lungs.

**"****A. You had my full consent, trust me on that. B. You****_ did_**** owe me. Don't think I forgot, ya' goddamn tease! And 4-**

**"****C."**

**"****4! We're even now, so stop beatin' yourself up…that's my job."**

I crossed my arms over my chest and tried to keep my smile small. Honestly, the only bad part about this whole situation was that I couldn't remember it. He started at me for a few seconds as the guilt eased off his face and he put the keys in before he squinted and shot daggers at me.

**"****Hold up. The hell ya' mean we're even?"**

Shit. All the sassiness drained from me instantly. That was supposed to stay locked in the vault until the day after forever, yet me and my blabbing mouth had to go and ruin a perfect thing trying to make him feel better. I groaned in defeat.

**"****Oh for god's-'member when I started workin' as a bartender? My boss wanted to give me a extra reward for all the customers I was bringin' in, so he gave me a few uh…what's a extremely plural word for loads of booze?"**

**"****Kegs."**

**"****_Barrels_**** of pure, unadulterated, premium liquor and I threw a kick ass party! Sold our souls to the Whiskey princess that night! We drank, Merle brought his friend and we got tattoos, Skylar scored us some pot, and oh man it was epic! We're all going ta' hell, 'cause we sinned worse than Satan himself that night! Wildest party in the state of Georgia! I deserve a-"**

**"****Zayla!"**

**"****_You_**** were unbelievably shitfaced, Mr. 'That's Enough For One Night'. Seriously, you drank more than Merle ever did and that's way over the alcohol intake limit. Anyway, ****_I _****was kind enough to drag your heavy, drunken ass to my room so you wouldn't sleep on the floor and we banged. Ya' lasted 10 minutes-"**

**"****It wasn't 10 minutes!"****  
>"How the hell would you know? You were dead ass drunk! We banged for <strong>**_10 minutes_****, ya' barfed, and passed out. So now we're even, and hopefully you redeemed yourself."**

He was blushing so hard from embarrassment and it was adorable. Truth be told, that was the best night of my life and not just because of the sex or the drinking, it was what he said that made me never want to have anyone but him. A drunken Daryl would spill his heart out and I learned a lot about him from his ramblings, like what he thought about the world, childhood memories with Merle, and how he felt about me. How I was his closest friend who he fell for when we were teenagers, but he didn't want to ruin such a cherished friendship because he thought he wasn't good enough. That part was definitely staying locked away…along with the tattoo on my ass.

He grumbled and we caught up with everyone else.

Our line of cars stopped a half mile later, due to Dale's warning honks. We all filed out on the abandoned highway and started scavenging for supplies as Dale and Glenn tried to fix the RV. Rick declared a stern 'no guns' rule due to the fact that the noise could draw Walkers from the thick forest next to us, so everyone kept their primary weapons in the cars and knives on them instead. Shane and I were taking the same path through the sea of hot cars when I spotted some REM's in a minivan. The doors were locked, but the window was rolled down enough for me to lean the upper half of myself and my bag in. I got the 4 pack in my bag, along with a brownie, and was about to search for anything else, when Shane pulled me out and on the ground, a hand covering my mouth.

**"****Walkers." **He whispered and pointed to the small herd stumbling forward.

We slid under the car and I could see Rick on my left and Lori and Carol in front of me. Carol was trying her hardest not to make any noise through her quiet sobs as she was looking to her right at a equally terrified Sophia, clutching the doll Eliza gave her and whimpering. I wanted to bring her to her Mother, but the masses of stumbling feet before me prevented me from doing anything.

As the shuffling and moans got away from us, I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding before my heart pounded at the sound of a scream. 4 Walkers were chasing after Sophia as she hopped over the metal railing and into the woods. Shane tried to stop me as I rolled out from under the car and ran after her, killing 1 Walker within the first 10 minutes of the chase.

I was following Sophia's cries and the moans of the other 3 Walkers when she changed her direction and was heading back to me. I hid behind a tree, waited for her and 2 Walkers to run pass, and killed the 3rd. A little over a half hour later, I had to follow her trail as her crying was muted out by the sounds of a creek; she came pass here. As I walked along the river, I came across what looked like a beaver dam. Sophia might be hiding in there as it was big enough for her to hide in. I tried to be as quite as I could in the water as I cautiously edged towards the dam, knife in a tight grip, and almost cried when I looked inside. Sophia was huddled up inside with tears streaming down her face; she immediately latched on to me when she realized I wasn't a threat and I pulled her out of the water.

**"****Zayla, I'm scared! I want my Mommy, please take me back to her!"** She said through shaking sobs.

**"****I will, it's gonna be okay Sophie. Are you hurt? Did they get you?"**

**"****No, Mr. Grimes came and protected me. He put me in there and told me to keep the sun on my shoulder and run back to the highway. I was too scared to come out when he left." **

At least I wasn't the only one out here looking for her. I glanced up at the sky and we had about 20 minutes of daylight left; that wasn't enough time to get back to the others. God knows how many Walkers are in the forest and we couldn't wait on a search party, but we definitely had to get out of the open.

**"****It's gonna be dark soon and we can't stay out here. We'll find someplace to camp out and get back to the others in the morning. Okay?"**

She nodded and grabbed my hand before we were off.

Along the way, I occasionally stopped to mark a tree with a merged 'Z' and 'D' to leave a trail for the others and keep track of where we were going; Sophia watched in curiosity.

**"****Are you tracking like Daryl does? He told me he does that when he goes hunting."**

**"****Yup, the others can follow us from the marks. Come here, I'll show you how to do it."**

She smiled as I put the knife in her small hands and guided her to make a very crooked 'SP' next to my mark.

Not a minute later, Sophia's stomach grumbled and she put her arm over it to stop it. She was tired, needed to eat, and get rehydrated after all that running in the sun, but I still had to find somewhere for us to sleep.

**"****Zayla, look!" **

She pointed to an abandoned woodhouse in a huge clearing, the night's rising moon had given her just enough light to see its silhouette.

There weren't any Walkers around, and I couldn't hear any noise from the inside as I listened from the door. I gave Sophia my bag and kept her close behind me as we scouted though the house and it was empty. I pushed a vanity over the front door and boarded up the back door as Sophia looked around the kitchen for any unspoiled food; he found 3 bottles of water that added to the half-filled one I already had in my bag. There was a bed upstairs, big enough for the both of us, that I told her she could sleep in but she didn't want to be alone. We brought all the blankets we could gather and stayed in the living room for the night; I wrapped her up in the thickest blanket and lit a candle before we both ate one of the REMs. After we ate, she snuggled into me as she went to sleep; she must have dropped the doll Eliza gave her. I closed my eyes and fell into a light sleep, so much as a single gust of wind made my eyes snap open.

Carol had to be devastated when Rick got back empty handed; I was going to get them back together if it was the last thing I'd ever do.


	6. The Sinner and The Saint Part II

_A/N: Hey guys. Bad news: my laptop died and I lost all my prewritten stories__L__. Good news: We broke 1000 views! Yaaay! I'm gonna try to rewrite the stories over as best I can! Wanted to give you guys a little something so you'd know I'm still alive :3_

_(With this chapter, I changed up the timeline so things don't go in order exactly. Cheers!)_

**_The Sinner and The Saint part II_**

When the sun was out, Sophia and I set off to find the others. Sophia seemed happier than she was yesterday as she was singing a song she learned in school and giggling. She was pretty sad about losing her doll because she didn't have a lot of toys to play with, but she seemed to be over it now and it was nice to see her happy again.

We were close to the highway when I heard a Walker and Sophia grabbed my hand. I didn't want her to get spooked and run off, so I boosted her up on a branch, high enough that a Walker couldn't get to her. I clutched my knife and tried to hone in on where the sound was coming from, but it kept going in and out like it was teleporting throughout the forest. As soon as I got out of my attacking stance, I was yanked back by a fistful of my hair and into a split tree; the sneaky Walker I was searching for was the culprit. It was banging my head against the bark in an attempt to pull me through and I growled to keep from screaming and attracting more of them. I tried to stab it over my head, but I kept missing as I couldn't see it and I felt its hot breath on the back of my head. I knew this was going to hurt, but I didn't have another option. I used all my force to pull away from the tree and I was released from the hold. The Walker stumbled around the tree, a patch of my hair in its mouth, and I stabbed it when it reached out for me.

I got Sophia down from the tree and the pulsating pain emitting from my head made its presence known. I felt around the sore spot and blood was on my fingers.

**"****Sophie, cover your ears."**

She pushed her hands as tightly as she could over her head as I damn near screamed every profanity, known and unknown to man, in a single breath. I took a few deep breaths to calm down and we went back on our path.

When we got back to the highway, all of our groups' cars were gone. There was one car that had a bunch of food on it and writing on the windshield.

**Zayla+Sophia**

**Stay here**

**We'll find you**

Stay here? Stay out in the open where another horde of Walkers could pass by with no weapons to defend with? No thanks. Sophia put all the food she could fit into my bag as I found clear tire tracks, most likely from Dale's RV, going in a new direction and we followed them.

After about 3 hours of walking, we were in some kind of farm-town; there were ranches, horse stables, and farm houses huge plots of land behind them and metal fences surrounding each property. Any of those houses would be a safe place to bunker down in and with a few improvements, it'd be Walker resistant.

We were walking beside an endless fence when Sophia started to slow down, so I put her on my back so she could rest for a while. After another half hour of walking, she was fast asleep and I was getting tired. I started slowing down, about to wake her up so we could relax for a second, when a sudden surge of adrenaline rushed through me and I started jogging. I finally saw another farmhouse, and on the lawn of it was the RV and Dale was on top of it, his back to us. Coming a bit closer, I saw the familiar tents of our group in a crooked circle as well as our cars.

I almost forgot Sophia was on my back until she groaned from the shaking of me running.

**"****Are there Walkers chasing us?"**

**"****We found your Mom, Sophie! The group's up ahead! You see Dale's RV?"**

She pushed herself up on my shoulders to get a better view and I heard her gasp before she jumped off my back and started running with me. She was screaming for her mother as loud as her little lungs would allow her to, but we were still too far away for them to hear us. When we were about 50 feet from the entrance to the farm, I whistled with my fingers and caught Dale's attention. I started yelling with Sophia when he turned and looked though his binoculars. He said something to someone below before he made his way off the ladder.

As we got closer, I saw Carol's greying hair running full sprint towards us, the others behind her trying to keep up. Sophia ran into her arms and she caught her in a tight hug before she fell to her knees, bawling into her daughter hair.

**"****Mommy!"**

**"****Oh Sophia,baby! I lost you for good! My sweet girl, oh I'm so sorry!"**

She rocked her back and forth, kissing her wherever she could, and her speech unclear though her crying laughter. I stopped in back of them. My lungs felt like they were on fire and my legs were as wobbly as jell-o, but I got her back to her mom and that's all that mattered.

I smiled as the love seemed to radiate from them and Carol pulled me into the hug.

**"****Zayla! You brought her back! You kept her safe, thank you!"**

Carol even gave me a few loving pecks on the cheek and she reminded me of my mother for a second. She picked Sophia up and grabbed my hand as we reunited with the group. Rick introduced me to the Greene family.

Maggie was oldest daughter and she was a feisty tomboy just like me. She didn't like any of that girly crap and had a 'Do What I Want' attitude. I had a feeling we'd be friends real soon.

Beth was the youngest daughter and she just screamed innocence with her big blue eyes. She was a quiet girl, the kind that only speaks when spoken to, but I could tell there was a fire inside of her. Apparently she had an amazing singing voice too, maybe I could get her to sing some songs for me.

Hershel was the Father and owner of the Greene family Farm. He looked like Santa Clause, minus the huge belly, and he was a strict, God-fearing man. He was a doctor of sorts and he saved Carl from an accidental and almost fatal gunshot wound accidentally inflicted by Otis, a friend of Hershel's who died trying to get the necessary equipment back to the farm for Carl.

Jimmy was Beth's boyfriend and. Annette was Hershel's wife and medical assistant.

After introductions where made, Carol and Sophia were still reuniting and Maggie led me to the house for a new pair of clothes, a shower, and a hot meal. When I walked on the porch, I felt refreshed and ready to work, the fatigue from earlier vanished. Carol was sitting in a rocking chair, cuddling a sleeping Sophia and stroking her hair. She mouthed "Thank you" and I smiled.

I noticed that I hadn't seen Daryl since we arrived and he was the person I wanted to see the most; he wasn't in the house or anywhere around camp. Shane motioned for me to join him and Rick at one of the cars.

** "****You're a hero, Zayla. Carol was devastated when I came back without Sophia. She almost gave up all hope when Carl got shot. We're all grateful to have you two back."**

Rick smiled and returned Stro and my arrows to me.

**"****So, where's my redneck?"**

Rick glanced at Shane and he turned his back to us.

**"****Didn't do it last time, ain't gonna do it now."**

**"****Try not to kill me this time alright?"**

Rick sighed and stood up straight. He looked as if he'd done this a thousand times and he was getting tired of doing it over and over again.

**"****Daryl went out lookin' for you and Sophia about 3 hours ago. We were gonna go as a team, but he got impatient, stole a horse, and took off. He's got his crossbow and I trust he'll be fine by himself. You don't have to worry."**

He took a huge step back and Shane and I laughed.

I expected Daryl to go on some expedition looking for me and Sophia and as stubborn as he was, he wasn't going to let anyone get in his way. Even though he'd never say it, I knew Sophia had a place in Daryl's heart as they experienced almost completely similar childhoods. They had a dead beat Dad who couldn't care less about his kids unless it was for personal benefit. When nobody else was around, he'd fend off Ed as soon as he looked at his daughter crooked. For a stone cold tough guy, he was a big softie when it came to women.

**"****He'll be fine. He got lost in the woods when he was a kid. Survived off wild berries and wiped his ass on poison oak."**

**"****He's never told me ****_that_**** story, I'll have to ask him about it when he gets back. In the meantime, why don't you get some rest?"**

**"****I'm fine, is there anything I can do around here?"**

**"****Maggie could use some help gatherin' the fruit."**

He nodded to the house where Maggie who was coming down the steps with two empty crates in her hands. I jogged over and took a crate and followed her to their orchard of trees baring ripe, colorful fruit.

**"****I got the red apples, you get the green." **

As we gathered the fruit, Maggie and I got to know one another. If I met her before the turn, I think we would've been the best of friends as we had a lot in common. She told me about the times she'd sneak out to go to parties or her boyfriend's house and come back in just enough time. She didn't get into as many fights as I did, but she did have a pretty impressive list. When we were finished, the sun was setting into the late afternoon and we were walking back to the house, giggling about a story I was telling.

**"****How'd the possum get in the bathroom in the first place?"**

**"****No idea, but my Dad almost had a heart attack when he lifted the lid and that sucker was waitin' for 'em."**

**"****No way."**

**"****He runs out the bathroom, ass out, yellin' 'Zayla! Zayla! There's a baby bear in the toilet! Go get Bane! Come get it!' And this is my big, fearless, war hound of a Father we're talkin' about."**

**"****Haha, wow. Talk about a tough guy."**

**"****Yep, that's Dad for ya'."**

When we got into the kitchen, we started rinsing off the apples and no less than 5 minutes later, we were engaged in a small water fight. Maggie got me with a really cold shot and I squealed just before Hershel came in.

**"****Am I disrupting your hard work, girls?"**

We stood side by side with the most innocent grins we could muster to try and avert his eyes from the soaked counter tops and water splats on the windows.

**"****No, Daddy. Me and Zayla were just…"**

**"****Cleaning up the kitchen!"**

**"****Right! The counters and windows were just a bit dirty."**

**"****We just wanted to tidy up."**

He looked at us as if he knew we were lying and we made our smiles bigger. He chuckled and took an apple from the crate.

**"****Well when one of you has a moment, could you take some water to the man upstairs? He's dehydrated and he'll need lots fluids when he wakes."**

**"****Is someone hurt?"**

**"****One of the men from Rick's group just got back. From the looks of it, he got thrown off a horse, got impaled, and he took a bullet to the head. I'm surprised he's still alive."**

Hershel left and Maggie started drying the kitchen.

**"****Two shots not even a day apart, you guys are wild. Why don't you go give the guy some water? I'll clean up here."**

She poured a glass of cold water and platted me with some before I left. When I got into the room, there was a man lying in bed with his back to me. His head was bandaged and he had the covers pulled up over his shoulders. When I came to the other side of the bed, the glass almost slipped from my grip when I saw his face.

**"****Daryl…"**

He looked like he was in a coma from how still and automatic his breathing was. I knew he was out looking for me and Sophia, but he didn't have to almost get killed for us! I kneeled in front of him and put his hand on my cheek; I just wanted to see his eyes again. He didn't move and I sank my face into the bed.

Why did he have to be so protective? He went out and almost got killed! What if nobody found him? He could've waited for the rest of the group, but oh no, he just had to be the brave one. He just had to do everything by himself and I hated him for being so careless, yet I loved him for being so brave.

I felt his fingers move, and my head jerked up to meet his barely opened eyes.

**"****Heaven's got some pretty angels…"**

**"****You're not dead yet, Dixon and I'm a hellspawn thanks."**

He blinked a few times to focus, then I saw his blue orbs expand then contract on me. I gave him the water and he drank it all with 2 gulps. He relaxed for a moment before he tried to get up, groaning because he was so sore, and I gently pushed him back down.

**"****Gotta find Sophia…ugh."**

**"****Easy tiger, she's with her Mom."**

**"****You?"**

**"****Yeah, now take it easy. What happened to you?"**

**"****Went lookin' for y'all. Stupid horse got spooked and threw me off a cliff. Got one of my arrows stuck in my side. Makin' my way back here and Andrea's crazy ass shoots me. Knew she had it out for me but damn… "**

Andrea shot him…she almost killed him. Why the hell did she have a gun in the first place?! She'll wave that pistol around like she's big and bad, but she doesn't know how to use it! Hell, I'll bet Carl's a better shot then her! I was definitely going to 'talk' to her later, give her a nice kudos for damn near killing him!

**"****Don't start pickin' fights, Z."**

**"****I'm not gonna-"**  
><strong>"<strong>**I've seen that look before and it means yer ready ta' brawl. Least lemme heal up so I can keep you away from 'er."**

**"****Fine, but if it just so happens that someone finds her decapitated in her tent tonight, it's not my fault."**

His lips pulled a half smile and he closed his eyes again. After a few minutes, thought he was sleeping and could smell something cooking from the kitchen. I looked over him to see another set of bandages near his waist. I was about to pull the blanket down so see what damage had been done, when he stirred.

**"****Thought I lost ya', girl."**

**"****Can't get rid of me that easy."**

I kissed his head and went to get us something to eat. The women made a celebratory feast to thank Hershel for allowing us to stay on his farm. Carol set aside plates for Daryl and I as everyone gathered in the dining room. Glenn and Maggie were secretly glancing at each other trying to keep their smiles small, and Andrea was looking at me like she wanted to say something. I grabbed our plates and stared making my way back upstairs, when she met me at the steps. I didn't stop to talk to her, but she followed me.

**"****Zayla, I'm sorry about today."**

**"****Go away."**

**"****I feel really guilty about this whole thing."**

**"****Don't care."**

**"****I'm trying to bury the hatchet here."**

She grabbed my arm and I glared at her when she jerked her hand away.

**"****You're still breathin' 'cause he told me not to hurt you. Don't take advantage of it."**

**"****I know we aren't the best of friends and I know for a fact you don't really like me, but I think we should come to amends. Neither of us are going anywhere anytime soon. We're bound to have somethin' in common and we're basically family."**

**"****We're apart of the same group, that's it. Ain't no bonds or friendship between us."**

**"****Why can't we just get along? Honestly, why don't you like me? You and Amy got along, what's wrong with me?"**

**"****You wanna know why I don't like you? It's 'cause you're a stuck up, smart ass, prissy, little college brat who expects ta' be pampered when we're out here tryin' to keep everyone safe! Ya' can't hunt, can't fight, and the only thing I think you're useful for is that hole between yer legs. The only reason I didn't kick yer ass when we were back at the quarry was Amy, I liked her enough not ta' put another hole in yer head! I'mma tell you this an' I ain't gonna say it again, stay away from me. If you ever do anythin' like what ya' did today to him again, I'll slit yer throat while yer sleepin'. You understand or do ya' need a demonstration?"**

It looked like she was about to cry, but I could care less. Amy was the better sister as opposed to Andrea and we got along just fine; she was nothing like her sister, she was better. Andrea just thought she should be the queen of the goddamn world and I was always the first person to knock her off her pedestal. She was one of the weakest links of our group, yet she wanted to be treated like she was the best damn thing that ever happened to us. She wanted honesty and there it was, the truth hurts.

I turned my back on her and went back to Daryl's side. I helped him eat and he seemed like he was recovering by the minute.

**"****What'd you do to her?"**

**"****To who?"**  
><strong>"<strong>**Andrea."**

**"****I didn't do anything."**  
><strong>"<strong>**I heard you in the hall. You made her cry didn't you?"**

**"****She wanted me to be honest with her and I was. I think she knows where we stand now."**

**"****Meanest girl I ever knew."**

I chuckled and moved the plates on the nightstand. I didn't know what I was going to be doing tomorrow or how early I'd have to get up, so I yawned and stretched to signal that I was leaving.

**"****Tired?"**

**"****Yeah. Been up for about two days."**

He moved over and opened the blanket to me. I could see all the bruises he got today and where the bandages ended; he was like a mangled dog.

**"****Daryl-"**

**"****Take them dirty boots off before ya' get in."**

**"****I'm not sleeping with you."**

**"****You just gonna abandon yer patient?"**

**"****You're Hershel's patient."**

**"****What if I need ta' piss? Somebody's gotta help me and I ain't lettin' Old McDonald touch me."**

**"****Use a damn bottle."**

**"****If I get up from this bed-"**

**"****Alright, fine!"**

He chuckled.

He was always stubborn when he was sick, he never liked taking medicine or lying in bed all day, but I didn't want him to move at all; he needed to rest and eat so he could heal.

I sighed and kicked off my boots. I nestled in bed with my back to him and he turned me around to pull me into his chest; he was really warm and his heartbeat was my strong, steady lullaby as I drifted to sleep, the exhaustion of the past two days falling over me like piles of rocks.

Our 'relationship' was a dysfunctional one, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. We were two broken people mending and protecting each other like we were married. As long as he knew he was mine and vice versa, we could stay like this forever


	7. Judge, Jury, Execution

**_(I made it so Hershel didn't have Walkers in the barn because he thought they were too dangerous.)_**

**_Judge, Jury, Execution_**

**"****C'mon on you oversized bottle of glue! Show me whatcha' got!" **

The stallion bucked and took off sprinting before he bucked again, trying to throw me off.

It'd been a few weeks since Daryl came back and he was up on his feet again. Unknown to everyone else, Maggie and Glenn were a 'thing' and they used the time they went out on runs to get to know each other better. Things were good on the farm and no trouble had come our way until Rick announced that Lori was pregnant. Everyone who was at the quarry knew that Lori and Shane were together up until Rick showed up and that made me wonder if Shane was the father. With that piece of drama announced, Hershel let us move into the house. Shane and Rick's relationship was wearing thin as Daryl seemed to replace Shane's spot as Rick's right hand. I knew Shane wasn't stupid enough to go against Daryl, but he was becoming more unorthodox and it was probably due to the fact that he was banging Andrea now. The Sheriffs went out on a run, of sorts, this morning and had yet to get back.

He, Hershel, Jimmy, Maggie and Glenn were watching me try to domesticate Hershel's only untamed horse. He was a strong, black stallion with the prettiest blue eyes I've ever seen, next to Daryl's of course.

His thick mane and tail were the same color as the rest of his body, but he had a patch of white dotted splatters on his right thigh and boy did he have a bad temper! Hershel said he found him wandering deeper in the fields and he was nice enough to let him bring him back to the farm. He wasn't sure what type he was as his bad temper made it hard to pinpoint a breed. At first, he didn't let anyone get near him and he almost killed Jimmy when he kicked him, but as time passed, he let the people on the farm do everything but ride him. Not even Maggie could stay on him for longer than a minute!

Hershel was about to just let him roam back to where ever he came from, but he still had hope that the horse could be tamed and he just needed the right person to do it; he even offered to let whoever tamed him, keep him. Today, I'd be getting a horse.

**"****Do yer worst, Hellboy!"**

He reared and I cheered as he started galloping again. This horse was as good as mine so I may as well name him and as much as he probably hated me right now, I knew there was a connection here. He only threw me off once and that wasn't happening again. He'd been putting up a fight for a little over an hour now and it was exhilarating! Such a beautiful animal had so much power, but he wouldn't have it forever. He was winding down, but he was milking every drop of adrenaline he had left. He came down to a slow walk before he snorted and stopped; I could feel him panting along with me.

**"****You had enough? Ready to give up?"**

I stroked his neck and he huffed, then the bucking started again. They weren't nearly as powerful as they were in the beginning and I knew there was just one shred of disobedience left.

**"****That's all you got? Daryl bucks harder than you!"**

He kept up his tantrum for another 10 minutes and that was it. He slowed and swayed from side to side before he gave a soft neigh and he started trying to lay down with me still on him. I giggled and got off and he plopped on his side.

**"****I think I killed it!"**

I yelled to the others watching from in back of the fence. I started rubbing him as he caught his breath and calmed.

**"****You just got tamed boy, betcha feel a whole lot better now."**

He huffed and dropped his head on the ground; I liked him, he had sass! I gave him one last pat before I hopped the fence to meet the members of the Green family with shockingly impressed faces. Daryl walked with me back to the house so I could rinse and change. I had dirt all over my jeans and I knew my hair was a mess, but he didn't seem to care.

**_"_****I buck harder than a horse, huh?"**

**"****Maybe. Can't remember, it's been awhile."**

**"****Maybe ya' need a refresher."**

**"****You sure you can handle this? Ain't no booze involved this time."**

He snorted.

After my shower, I was going through Hershel's book collection for something that wasn't a Bible or any other form of religious text. I found an untitled red book of poetry and sat in the window to read. I'd gotten so lost in the book, that I didn't realize Rick and Shane were back or how much time had passed.

When Dale came in mumbling to himself, I came out of my trance and stretched.

**"****It's madness, complete pandemonium!"**

**"****What's wrong, Dale?"**

**"****What's wrong? They're turning into asinine ruffians, that's what's wrong!"**

**"****Tone it down with the words, Shakespeare. What are you talkin' about?"**

**"****Where have you been all this time?"**

**"****In here reading, like a civil person, thank you."**

**"****I'm sorry. This whole thing's got my feathers ruffled."**

Dale was such a Dad; he always said out dated mottos and wore his fishing a hat. He wasn't anything like my Dad, but he was still a funny, clever old man.

**"****Rick and Shane just got back with a boy, Randal. They found him at the bar in town when they were looking for Beth."**

**"****Beth? Why was she off the farm?"**

**"****It seems that your confident nature rubbed off on her and she decided she wanted a drink. She slipped into the trunk before they left." **

I never told Beth to drink! We bonded in our time here and she was a very sweet girl who'd never break the rules. Maggie could write a book on all the stuff she did as a teen, but not Beth. Beth was the sheltered, innocent child. Everyone, excluding myself, treated her like a child and I encouraged her to still try to have fun as a teenager, well young adult, she was going on 18. I didn't mean sneak out and get wasted! I had to give her props though, that was pretty badass for a little lamb like her.

**"****But that's not important. Rick's locked him in the shed and sent Daryl to 'talk' to him. Apparently, he was with a group of bad men and now Rick wants to kill the boy. It's insane!"**

**"****He's a cop, he wouldn't. He still believes in laws."**

**"****With Shane in his ear, he's already in favor for it. He's making it 'fair' by having a trial for the boy. I'm already opposed to this and I think you are too."**

**"****Damn straight. We don't have the right to kill someone."**

The others started piling in the living room and everyone seemed distraught about the whole thing. Daryl was farthest away from the group in a chair, with bandages around his knuckles, and he tucked them under his arms when I sat next to him. He could be such a brute sometimes. No wonder Rick used him to do his dirty work. He was ruthless when he wanted to be.

Everyone settled and the meeting came to order.

**"****I will not risk the safety of any of us any longer. You all know that we have a…detainee with us and you know his story. As a group, we're going to figure out what to with him. The first, and most constructive option, is simply ending him. Shane, Daryl, and I are already supporting that decision."**

I stared at Daryl in disbelief.

Men could be so idiotic sometimes! Whenever the slightest chance of a threat comes around, they go into over protective mode and want to kill the thing with their bare hands like animals! They never use common sense or listen to reason if they can beat the problem until it goes away!

I got up and stood next to Dale as he was the 'leader' of the non-hostile side of this debate. I had to admit that under the circumstances, I seemed like a hypocrite. I was all for Anarchy and fighting, hell I was the definition of a brawler, but this was different.

**"****I refuse to participate in this." **

**"****Majority rules with or without your say, Zayla. Those opposed to his death should start stating why he should live."**

**"****We have no right, it's as simple as that! What reason could we ****_possibly _****have to kill him? He's done nothing to us!"**

**"****He could have done something to Beth. That's more than enough evidence to end him."**

**"****So we start killing other people tryin' ta' survive just like us because of assumptions, Shane? We don't know if he's like the rest of his group." **

**"****So you wanna let him run free, so he can snatch one of you up? He's a lair, he's conniving, and he can't be trusted.**"

** "****Shane's right. He's not staying here much longer."**

**"****Then take him somewhere else! We've got horses and cars, take your pick!"**

**"****What if he finds his group, Dale? He went to school with Maggie and could know where we are. Then what? We go up against thirty-some odd guys with guns?"**

**"****That's your fault, Rick! You made the call to 'interrogate' him like that! He wouldn't have any grudges against us and he'd still have all his teeth if y'all talked to him instead of beatin' him like a damn dog!"**

** "****You didn't see the guys he was with, what they said they did to girls. They were gonna kill us and who knows what would've happened to Beth. This isn't really a negotiable situation."**

**"****Glenn!"**

**"****They were in town and they would've snatched one of us on a run. They were too close and would've found the farm! I did the right thing!"**

**"****He didn't ask ta' be dragged here! If his friends were so big an' bad, you shoulda left him there! You took it upon yourself to bring him here! You brought this threat to our doorstep!" **

**"****Does he really have to die? That can't be our only option."**

Carol's loving voice seemed to let us simmer down for a second and try to think rationally about what was going on. Biting at each other's throats wasn't getting us anywhere, but that's how deliberations work.

**"****It shouldn't be an option at all! Carol, you ****_just_**** lost your little girl, and thankfully she was brought back to you. What if he has family? Do you want to put another Mother through that?"**

**"****Stop hasslin' her. This ain't the time for a goddamn democracy." **

**"****This is a ****_perfect_**** time for a democracy, Shane." **

**"****Why are we even arguing about this? That kid's a threat, and lives are at risk. Shoot the brat in the head so we can move on."**

**"****Have we really lost so much sanity that we've turned into this, into savages? We may as well kill each other every time we disagree on something!"**

**"****Nobody wants to hear your damn lectures, Dale."**

**"****Stop being a dick, Shane!"**

**"****Oh now I'm being a dick? That's strange coming from the girl who wants to keep a goddamn rapist with us!"**

**"****_None_**** of you have the right to play God. This is a person who's done nothing to us, yet you all wanna kill 'em 'cause he's enduring the same hell hole we are. He's a kid! He's surviving the best way he can and you all are gonna kill him for that?" **

Everyone fell silent and just looked at one another, really seeing everyone's true colors. We all knew Shane was going crazy because of this baby dilemma and Rick was still getting into his kingpin role, which came with a lot heavy decisions, like this.

**"****If you think he should live, raise your hand."**

Mine and Dale's hands flew up. Carol inched her hand up too and she gave us a hopeful smile.

**"****Those opposed?"**

Rick, Shane, Lori and Glenn's hands went up; I saw Daryl's hand flick up no higher than his knee. Andrea was the tie breaker, but she crossed her arms over her chest. She was a goddamn lawyer before and now she doesn't want to judge? For once, she doesn't have something to say when we need someone to? She picked a hell of a good time to finally take my advice.

**"****It's decided then."**

**"****This is bullshit."**

**"****This is how a democracy works. It's win or lose."**

I felt like I was in a room of strangers because the people I knew, the people back at the quarry, wouldn't ever think like this.

Rick dismissed the meeting and everyone started leaving. Dale gave me an empathetic pat on the shoulder before he left and I sat back in the window. I knew Daryl was still in there, but I didn't want to talk to him or any of the other murders with us.

**"…****we're just protectin' the group."**

**"****Protecting us by holding a guy hostage, torturing him, possibly provoking a war, and breaking your knuckles? I feel so safe now, thanks a ton."**

He started walking away and I heard him mumbled before he left

**"I'm protectin' you."**


	8. No More Sympathy

**_No More Sympathy(Kinda short, but the next chapter will be long :3)_**

One decision took a life, but not the life of the outsider…the life of a friend. The night of the decision to kill Randal turned out to be the last night Dale would live. He was gutted by a Walker out in the fields and we couldn't save him…we couldn't do anything except end his suffering. Rick couldn't even pull the trigger, so Daryl did, and I saw a part of him die as Dale did; we buried him under a big tree and a service was held the next morning.

Rick was more determined to kill Randal as he blamed him for Dale's death and as they were contemplating what they'd do, I sat at Dale's grave to 'talk' to him. Just yesterday, he was telling me not to hold grudges against people, especially in this world, because they could be gone tomorrow. The things he said always seemed to have a hint into the future…maybe he knew he was going to die.

Glenn came and sat next to me; he put Dale's fishing hat on the cross and I chuckled.

**"****Dale told me a story about his fishing trip in Vancouver. Said he caught a bass as long as both his arms. He said he'd teach me once we found a good spot…"**

He put his arm around me and rubbed my shoulder.

I was so heartbroken, it literally hurt to breathe. Dale was **_gone_**, just like that. Nothing would be the same without his corny jokes, wise quotes, and advice. Who was going to be the grand voice of reason? Who was going to keep us from losing what little civilities we had left? Were we supposed to just keep his RV and go about or lives? He could've persuaded the others to change their minds about Randal, but now it was inevitable.

**"****C'mon, let's leave him to rest."**

As we were leaving, Andrea was going to his grave. Dale would want me to make peace with her and as hard as it was going to be…I'd try for him.

Everyone was glum from the recent loss, but we still had things to oversee on the farm. Jimmy taught me how to manage Hellboy, and I spent the rest of the afternoon making sure he was groomed and used to me. I rode him around his corral, and I got accustomed to shooting my bow while riding; it wasn't perfect, but it was good enough for me. Even Hellboy seemed to know that I was down as he nuzzled into me for a hug.

I wanted to take him off the farm on a ride so I could clear my head, but before I could get pass the shed Randal was held in, Shane came stumbling out of the woods with a bloody wound on his face.

**"****The hell happened to you?"**

**"****Randal escaped!"**

He leaned on a tree and I dismounted from Hellboy to try and stop the bleeding with a piece of his shirt. What the hell was going on?

**"****You were supposed to be watching him!"**

**"****I know! I dunno how he got out! He still had the cuffs on when I saw him runnin'."**

**"****You have a gun! Why didn't you shoot him or somethin'?"**

**"****He caught me off guard. Took my gun and bashed me with it."**

Something wasn't right here…there were too many advantages weighing in Shane's defense for Randal to overpower him and the look in Shane's eyes seemed to prove it. Shane was a cop, cops know all kinds of counter-defensive techniques to subdue criminals, so if he did take his gun, he could've easily gotten it back. Plus, Shane was stronger than Randal anyway, so if they fought, it'd be over easily. Shane wanted him dead anyway, so if he really wanted to, he could've killed him…maybe he did. Was he really that crazy?

**"****Let's get you to Hershel. Rick will send someone to look for Randal, he couldn't have gotten far."**

We rode back to the farm and my uncertainties never left my mind.

Rick sent Daryl and Glenn to look for Randal and everyone else loaded the cars for us to leave. Rick thought that Randal would find his group and we had to be ready to fight or flee. To make matters worse, nobody knew where Carl was and that was another thing we had to worry about. Rick and Shane went to look for Carl, just before Daryl and Glenn got back.

**"****Where's Shane?"**

**"****He's with Rick lookin' for Carl. Where's Randal"**

**"****Dead."**

** "****He got bit?"**

**"****Got his neck snapped."**

Daryl explained how they found Randal and how he knew Shane killed him from the blood they found on a tree and Shane's gun was buried a few feet away. If Randal didn't get bit, why did he turn into a Walker? I knew something wasn't right! That bullshit story Shane told had so many holes in it! Shane was dangerous and now he was alone with Rick, far away from us…he was going to kill him.

Everyone was relieved to hear that Carl was still out there, but Rick's life was in danger, and we had to get him away from Shane. Just as I was about mount Hellboy, T-Dog screamed from the RV.

**"****Walkers!"**

Just past the barn was the biggest horde of Walkers I ever saw. There were thousands of them, maybe **_millions_** and they were heading straight for us. They were going to tear this farm apart and we definitely couldn't hide from them, so we were going to fight.

**"****Get those cars started an' the kids in 'em, now! Lori, get in the car! Everyone get a gun! Get in pairs and defend your partner! Make every bullet count! Head shots only! Let's move people!"**

I barked orders and they followed.

We only had a few seconds to get it together and I wasn't going to lose anyone today. Just then, the barn caught on fire and damn near exploded; flaming Walkers igniting the others as they flew out. Carl and Rick came running from the blaze and Rick got Carl in the car before he grabbed a gun.

**"****You heard her, let's go!"**

Following the buddy system, Daryl and I were a pair as we ran into the belly of the beast and picked off the Walkers, back to back; the others followed close behind. Glenn and Maggie were in one of the cars and Glenn was sticking out the window shooting them down like an expert; who said videogames didn't teach you anything? First person shooters were all the training Glenn needed. T-Dog and Rick were following their lead, with Rick shooting, and everyone else was on the ground shooting and stabbing. I tried to keep my eyes on Carol and Maggie, but I could only keep them in my sight for a second.

When we ran out of gun ammo, we switched to arrows and kept trying to fend them off; they were **_everywhere. _**For every Walker we killed, ten more were coming after us and we wouldn't be able to keep this up for long.

**"****Fall…get to…cars…highway… FALL BACK!"**

Rick's voice barely roared over the screaming, growling, and chaos. We had to get out of here, or we'd die. Everyone shooting started to dive into the cars. Daryl cleared a path to the motorcycle and he was about to take off when I heard Carol scream and my attention was drawn to the 2 Walkers chasing her. I jumped off the bike and shot one down just as she tripped; I hauled her up and on the bike. All three of us couldn't fit on there and I promised I wouldn't let anyone die today. They **_had_** to get out of here…Carol would take care of him; I trusted her to.

**"****Get on the damn bike, girl!"**

Walkers were starting to block their path and Daryl had no choice but to take off with Carol bawling behind him. As long as he had someone with a kind heart to guide him, he'd be alright and Carol was the best person to keep him in line. The rest of the cars were leaving and I called for Hellboy as I continued picking the Walkers off. He came running, kicking a few Walkers that were too close, and he took off dashing at his fastest speed. As we dashed down the road, there were more of them coming; it was like they were migrating or something. Herd after growing herd of them were heading towards what was left the farm.

Everyone would be okay. We knew where to meet up, we had cars, and nobody was alone. We'd all regroup on the highway and make a plan. We'd be okay…right?

Hellboy didn't stop for a second as he ran through the night. We had to make a big circle around the forest and we were speeding down the highway by morning. I was exhausted and hungry, but sleep deprivation and nourishment were the least of my worries. We were on the clear side of the highway, heading into the city, when I heard a sharp whistle penetrate the silence. I looked behind me and Rick was on top of his car waving his arms. Hellboy jumped the railing and we joined the small group. Rick, Hershel, Sophia and Carl were there and just as I dismounted, 2 more cars pulled in. Glenn, Maggie, T-Dog, Lori, and Beth emerged and we all rekindled. I had Sophia in a tight hug when the roaring of an engine echoed from down the road; Carol waved her arms and we waved and cheered back. She picked Sophia up and twirled her around as I jumped on Daryl and wrapped myself around him, laughing and kissing every inch of his face.

The first thing Rick announced when we were all reunited was that when we die, we resurrect as a Walker, even if we weren't bitten. He explained that Dr. Jenner told him this and that we were all infected by something in the air.

Shane and Annette were the only people we knew died as Rick killed his partner in self-defense, and Annette was taken down by Walkers; Andrea wasn't in any of the cars and nobody saw where she went. Rick declared that we were not going back. We didn't have the ammo and we weren't going to risk our lives for one person, when we had enough people with us.

We pushed forward and we didn't look back.

We all learned that we couldn't save everyone and that we could all die in an instant. We had to keep our sanity and survive if we were going to make it. No more strays, no more helping people. We had to be selfish to protect ourselves.


	9. Let's Make This Work

**Let's Make This Work**

We had no idea where we were going, but we keep moving. In our months traveling, even little Sophia got tougher; she killed her first Walker all by herself and she fought by Carl whenever we had to fend them off. She still kept her kindness, but she was a badass now and Carol was the same. We went from place to place, only being able to stay in a house for a day or so before the Walkers came banging on the doors. Hellboy saved all of us from an unseen gang of Walkers that came stumbling through in the dead of night. I didn't see him go down, but I doubt he survived that. He died a hero and we'd never forget him or his final act of bravery.

Hershel was teaching Carol the best he could on how to deliver Lori's baby when it was time for the little bomb to drop and she seemed to understand it, but practice makes perfect and she had nothing to rehearse on. When Lori's baby bump started showing, we were all excited for the new arrival, but we also were terrified. Babies cry, a lot, and they eat like hogs. We were in no condition to take care of a newborn! We had no formula, no crib, no diapers; we didn't have anything a baby needed! What if it cried all through the night? We'd all be stressed out and cranky from not getting any sleep and we'd all be at each other's throats! As much as I was happy that a new light could be birthed in this world of darkness, I was worried because of the danger that came with it.

Right now, Daryl and I were out hunting because it came down to the point where we were about to eat dog food. I'd stay out here all night and catch us grasshoppers before we ate puppy chow like peasants. We were shuffling through the trees when he whistled for me to come to him. He was in a clearing and in the middle of it was a huge prison with a few Walkers within its fenced yard. We both had the same thought in mind: this was our new home.

We gathered the others and got into the first gate, clearing all the Walkers in the yard by nightfall. Tomorrow, we'd go inside and pick off the rest which was easier said than done. There were lots of them on the other side and we'd certainly have our work cut out for us, but it'd be worth it, especially with the baby due any minute now.

The day of seizing was upon us and I'll be damned if we weren't taking this place. Rick, T-Dog, Glenn, Maggie, Daryl, and I were going in while the others remained on the safe side of the fence and today, I'd be putting my .45 to use.

As soon as it opened, we were in a tight formation, picking off the Walkers that got close or in our way and rejoining the huddle. We weren't taking any risks today and nobody was going to play hero when we were determined to get through this without anyone getting killed. As we slashed through the corpses, Daryl pointed out that there weren't just inmates and guards inside, but that there were civilians too. Now we were being extremely risky because if there was a breach on the inside, we were walking right into a slaughter house. It took a minute for Maggie to kill one guard as it had on body armor, but Glenn helped her and put the suit on, taking the lead as first attacker and actually getting us inside the building.

It was dead quiet inside the jail and the Walkers seemed to suddenly vanish. While rummaging through one of the watch booths, Rick found a ring of keys and sent for the others to come in and lock the gate and door behind them. The cells weren't filthy and everyone looked over each of them, almost deciding which one they'd pick to be theirs. Rick wanted to ensure that we were safe here, so he sent us out on a securing mission on the upper levels of the prison and we'd work our way down. Maggie and Glenn, Rick and Hershel, and Daryl and I would all scout, in pairs, the different parts of the solitary confinement section, marking where we were going with a can of spray paint that was a different color for each pair. We went into the dark catacombs together and no less than 10 minutes later, Glenn and Maggie got separated; this was not the time for one of their 'bonding' sessions.

We pushed on, but Hershel got worried and wanted to go back to wait for them at the entrance. We were heading out when Hershel's scream rang through the tombs as a supposed dead Walker got him in the leg. Daryl shot it in the head as Maggie and Glenn rounded the corner, a group of Walkers following after. Glenn and Rick picked Hershel up and tried to find us a way out as Daryl, Maggie, and I made sure the Walkers stayed back. They stopped for a second to break open a door and Daryl kept it shut with a spare pole.

While we guarded the door, Hershel was on the ground and he was bleeding out. Maggie was at his side, bawling, desperately trying to stop the bleeding with her hands and from the corner of my eye, I could see Glenn go into a storage room and he came out with a metal cart, blanket and fire axe. The sound of metal digging into bone and Hershel's screaming again, made me jerk my head around to see Hershel, with his leg cut off from the knee down and the bloody stump wrapped up in the cloth, on the cart; I was so grateful I didn't have to see that. Out of bullets, I switched to Stro, as we raced through the tombs.

We hacked our way through the Walkers and back to the cell block where everyone was getting settled. Thankfully, Carl did a little scavenging on his own and came back with some food and enough medical supplies to make sure Hershel's wound wouldn't get infected. Carol and Lori worked on him in the cleanest cell they sanitized in our time away and I was on my way to see if I could help when Daryl whistled from the entrance of where we just came; he had his crossbow aimed and I aimed my bow when I saw what followed us.

There were 4 prisoners creeping into the room like scared animals. There were 2 black guys, one tall and big while the other was small and skinny, a blonde white guy with a moustache, and a long haired Spanish man who now had a tiny pistol aiming between Daryl and myself.

**"****Get the fuck outta here."** Daryl's voice was strong and commanding.

**"****This is our house ****_ése_****! We were here before you!"**

**"****We earned this place! Y'all was cuddlin' up in the fuckin' closet while we was offin' the Walkers!"**

He pulled the hammer back and the tall black dude and the blonde threw their hands up to surrender and backed away from him as the smaller black man stayed by the Mexican's side.

** "****You best settle down,** **_cabrón _****or I'll shoot yer fuckin' hand off before ya' can pull the trigger.****_"_**

**"****She ain't kiddin' neither."**

I could get an arrow right through his hand before he even thought about shooting and Daryl could handle whoever tried anything else. He looked at the both of us with frantic eyes, but he didn't lower the gun. We didn't have time for this bullshit and I was about to release when Rick and T-Dog joined us.

**"****What's going on here?"**

**"****Just takin' care of a few leftovers."**

**"****Easy, Zayla."**

At Rick's command, I backed off. Rick came to the front of the standoff, his gun firmly in hand, and sternly sked who they were.

Tomas, the Mexican, explained that they were inmates and when the outbreak happened the prion was chaotic. He got a gun off a guard and since they couldn't get out, they decided to hide in the storage closet in the smaller cafeteria until it was safe. They couldn't open the door without the Walkers trying to get in, so they stayed locked inside for months. When we came barging in, they thought they could get out, but one of the men they were with, Big Tiny, got scratched on the arm and they saw what happens when someone got bit, so he and I quote "blew his fucking head off and watched his brains paint the walls". I didn't know if a scratch was fatal, but they might have been able to save him. Why was he the only one with a gun? You'd think big, scary, territorial criminals would find weapons and pick the Walkers off to get out of that cramped space.

Rick explained how the prison belonged to us because we spilled blood to obtain it and Tomas seemed to understand that as he lowered his weapon and Rick called me and Daryl off.

I went to check on everyone and Hershel, only to find that he was unconscious, before I watched Rick and T-Dog negotiate at the end of the catwalk, like a sniper.

They were talking to the prisoners about clearing out another cell block if they gave us half of their food. They'd keep to their side and if we never saw them, there'd be no trouble. I didn't trust Tomas after he killed his 'friend' in cold blood and kept going like nothing happened. We could've saved him, cut his arm off like Hershel's leg, sterilized it and had him on his way. He was one of those 'survival of the fittest' thinkers and that puny little peashooter he had stroked his ego in the stupidest way.

As I focused, I heard Daryl's silent footsteps before he sat next to me.

**"****They actin' shady?"**

**"****No, but that wetback's trouble, don't trust 'em."**

I pointed an arrow to Tomas leaning on the wall. He had a nasty vibe coming from him and he acted like he belonged in prison. He was untrusting and if he pulled a gun on anyone else in this group, I'd scalp him.

I pointed to Andrew, the smaller black guy, sitting on the ground looking up to Tomas like he was a God and trying to look as menacing as him.

**"****That one's his bitch." **

Daryl snorted in amusement.

**"****He does whatever Papi Chulo tells him. Lil' rat is what he is."**

**"****What about the big guy?"**

He pointed to Oscar, the biggest guy with them, and he was on the opposite side of the room with Axel, the guy with the mustache. They were sitting at a table away from the other men, but closer to the gates to listen to Rick.

**"****Blonde guy's his bitch?"**

**"****I don't think so…you used to be my blonde bitch though."**

I ruffled his hair, which was a darker than it was at the farm, and he smacked my hand away. I kinda missed him being a dirty blonde and how short he kept it so I could always see his eyes, but I liked this new style better.

** "****Those two ain't sketchy. Axel keeps yappin' about fixin' cars, Oscar talks about his family and if you remember, they weren't gonna fight when Tomas pulled that gun."**

**"****You know what Rick said."**

**"****I know, but a mechanic and more muscle?"**

**"****They're prisoners too, Z."**

**"****Merle got locked away. If he was in here, you'd want him with us."**

**"****This ain't the same, Merle's family. We both know why he got his dumb ass locked up. We don't know why they was put in here. This could be a Randal situation all over again."**

He was right. We didn't have the slightest idea of why these men were incarcerated, but Axel and Oscar could be useful to us.

Daryl would never admit it, but the bike really needed some tuning because it sounded like there were Walker guts churning up in the motor. Daryl was good with cars, but he and I had to hunt, leaving Glenn to do all the repairs and he barely knew what he was doing from the short lessons Dale gave him. The rest of us didn't have the slightest clue about what to do under the hood; siphoning gas was easier than actually fixing a car. From what the Axel was talking about, he could fix anything with an engine and wheels…he reminded me of Jim.

Their conversation finished and Rick called for us to join him and T. As he explained what we were going to do, I never took my eyes off Tomas and his hungry eyes were glued on Sophia. She was bending over, cleaning a cell with Carl near the gate, and he had the sickest look in his eyes. I didn't like him before and I hated him now. Excusing myself from the group, I picked Sophia up and she giggled as I scowled at Tomas; he belonged here, locked away from everything. Sophia was no older than 13 now and he was looking at her like she was some bar slut on a Friday night. We had too many women around here for someone not to be looking out for them and I was not going to let any one of them get hurt.

I carried her to the other end of the line of cells and told her to stay away from the gate until the prisoners were gone. She and Carl resumed cleaning out the cells and I told Rick I wasn't helping clear out their cell block. I decided to keep watch until they got back and Rick said if they weren't back in a half hour, we could come looking and, more importantly, hunting down that crazy Mexican.

They were only gone for a little over 20 minutes and when they got back, after telling us that Oscar and Axel were the only prisoners left, everyone was out in the yard beginning to get rid of the Walker bodies as this would definitely be our new home. Rick and I were lugging a carcass to the fire pile, when he noticed Axel and Oscar watching and patiently waiting for someone to notice them. Rick gave me a look and we went over to them.

**"****Y'all gotta poblem?"**

**"****We'd uh, we'd like to stay in your guys' cell block…be a part of your group if that's okay?"** Axel was a little timid and he looked scared as opposed to Oscar whose eyes were just pleading with Rick.

**"****It's not okay. We had a deal."**

**"****I know, but there are a lot of bodies in our block…bodies of good men we used to hang with. We can't even go into the yard to burn 'em! Those things start clawin' at the gate when we open the door!"**

**"****That's not our problem. Now go back to your block."**

**"****Please, we ain't Tomas and Andrew. Yeah, we're all convicts, but me and Oscar didn't get arrested for murder and neither did Big Tiny…he was our friend. We were willin' to share the prison with you guys, ain't have a problem with it. We're still new to this and don't wanna be alone."**

He looked at Oscar, frantic to try to convince Rick to let them stay with us. By now, Glenn, Daryl, and T-Dog were in back of us listening to his pleas.

**"****We're nice guys, we won't start no trouble…we can pull our weight! Oscar's got all the muscle for protectin' and I could fix up your guys' cars. Saw that nifty bike too, I could-"**

**"****Don't fuckin' touch that bike."**

Axel's hands flew up to back down as Daryl growled and I put my hand on his chest to keep him from attacking.

If Merle loved anything more than his brother, or himself, it was that glorified Harley-Davidson Sportster. He spent all his time and money on perfecting that bike to his liking and joined a motorcycle gang, which explains where the vest came from, when it was finished. He didn't even let Daryl touch it at first, but eventually he taught him how to ride it and even took me to work a on it few times. Ever since we left that rooftop, Daryl didn't let anyone near his brother's bike as it was the only thing he had left of him; he snapped on Jim when he put an oily rag on it to show he wasn't kidding about how over protective he was towards it.

**"****We'll send you off with a week's worth of food and you're on your own."**

Glenn and Daryl escorted the men to a space between 2 fences and continued to clear the bodies. T-Dog and I seemed like the only ones who were willing to let Axel and Oscar earn their place as they weren't sketchy like Tomas and Andrew. Axel had a pretty good defense as to why they should stay and I thought they'd be great additions. We barged in here, took over the place, and told them how things were going to be from here on out. That wasn't very fair.

Rick let us take a break and I made my way over to the boys, bearing 2 cookies as a peace offering; they took them and smiled.

**"****I'm sorry it has to be this way. Rick's just lookin' out for us and he's got a kid on the way so we really need this place. Me and T voted to keep you guys here, but majority rules."**

**"****It's alright."**

He put his hand through one of the holes and I shook it with a giggle. Axel wouldn't hurt a fly is he didn't have to; I could feel the kindness radiating off him, but he still had a tough side somewhere beneath his silly demeanor.

**"****I'm Zayla."**

** "****You know we're good guys, that's why you came over here and that's why you're being nice to us, so do you think you could talk to Rick? Maybe you could-"**

**"****Stop beggin', Ax. We're not staying."**

That was the first time I heard Oscar talk.

I wanted them to stay, I really did, but I knew how Rick was right now. He and Lori's marriage was crumbling by the day and he barely talked to her. It was because of this baby. Rick didn't know if it was his or Shane's and as much as Lori told him it was his, he never fully believed her. The fact that he could be raising the lovechild of Lori's affair with his best friend was tearing him apart.

Before I could say another word, I heard Glenn cheering and I looked behind me to see Hershel getting used to his new crutches. He had Lori and Beth at his sides, but he was moving around pretty quickly. I was happy that he was okay, and everyone else was from the smiles on their faces, but all that ended in a second when there was a loud blaring coming from the prison and the Walkers at the gate started getting riled up.

Rick and Daryl were trying to push the gate back, but they couldn't do much against the crowd…then, I heard someone scream and it was only the beginning of the madness to follow. There was a breach somewhere in the gates and the Walkers were crowding to get in as everyone started to panic.

**"****Someone turned the alarms on, we can cut 'em off!"**

I grabbed the keys from the little station next to the gate and unlocked the chains. As soon as Axel and Oscar got out, Rick and Daryl were hauling them inside the prison and screaming for everyone to get inside too. I was following them until I heard Carol screaming. T-Dog was trying to reduce the flooding amount of Walkers coming in by closing the gate to the yard and he got bit on his shoulder, leaving a deep gash. He got it secured and led me and Carol inside so we were in the tombs. We were doing fine for a few minutes, but then a few Walkers found us and I could only pick off 3 as I barely had any arrows from our earlier extraction. There were 2 left and T threw himself at them, giving Carol and I a way out. We didn't get far because there was another small crowd and I was ready to fight, pushing Carol behind me, but she pushed me inside one of the solitary-confinementh chambers and slammed the door shut.

I banged on the door and begged her to let me out. I heard the growls and her grunts when she stabbed them, then…silence.


	10. There's Always A Price To Pay

**There's Always A Price to Pay**

**(Daryl's POV)**

We could never get a fucking break. I knew those jail rats were trouble and Andrew was the cause of that disaster. When we found him, he gloated about feeding one of us to the Walkers to avenge Tomas and he almost killed Rick, but Oscar…saved him. Maybe he and Axel were good like Zayla said. After we got everything settled down again and our group met back in the yard, Rick did roll call. Zayla, Carol, T-Dog, Lori, Maggie, Sophia and Carl, were MIA and that was way too many people; we still didn't know who Andrew killed or even if he did. We were starting to plan where to look for them when we saw Carol gravely stagger to us from another side of the prison; she had Walker blood on her shirt and hands and her scarf was torn.

She fell to her knees and broke down as she told us that T-Dog sacrificed himself for her and Zayla. I couldn't understand what she was saying about where Zayla was, but I knew she said she was alive. Carol was still bawling into Beth's embrace until we heard a gate open and Carl and Maggie came out, but she was holding something wrapped in Carl's jacket. Rick couldn't get a word in before we heard the fussing of a…baby; he looked at Carl, who just stared at the ground. Nobody needed to ask because when Rick fell to the ground, his life shattering before us, we all knew Lori died…

We watched our leader crumble for a long 20 minutes, the girls crying along with him, but then, he grabbed a fire axe from the side of the building and charged into the prison. We followed him, and he told us to back off , but Glenn still went after him when he went into the tombs and Hershel looked over the baby. She was healthy, but she was going to need formula to keep her strength up. Everyone seemed to look to me for guidance now and I'd do my best to fill in for Rick while he gets his head together. Maggie and I were going out to find formula while everyone took care of the baby and looked for anyone who was still missing.

When we got back, Carol was passed out in a cell while the baby was crying because she was hungry. Beth quickly made the formula and I fed her, shushing and rocking the small girl in my arms; everyone looked at me like I was an alien or something, but I didn't care. I had hope for this little girl, she was strong, a fighter.

**"****Lil' AssKicker…that's what I'mma call ya'."** Everyone smiled.

Rick was in the tombs for the next 4 days, slashing walkers and losing a piece of his sanity by the hour. We still didn't find Zayla or Sophia and Carol was in such a shock, she could barely talk. I still had to manage everyone, set up watch shifts, make sure the breaches were closed, and plan runs, but I was going in the tombs today, so I left Glenn in charge. I didn't see Rick when I came down, but the trail of Walkers would lead me to him eventually; my main concern was finding her. She was still alive, this was Zayla…she had to be.

**(Zayla's POV)**

I was on the dirty ground, barely able to breathe. There was a stowaway Walker in here and it was lying against the door with my knife sticking out of its head. I don't know how long I've been in here…hours, maybe even days, but I was starving and dehydrated, so it had to have been awhile. I used every ounce of energy to try and get out of this hole, but that door wouldn't budge for anything. My shoulder hurt to a torturous point and I was pretty sure it was bruised, possibly dislocated. My throat was sore from screaming and my hands were wrapped up in some patches from my jeans because they were bleeding from me pounding on that door. I was trembling on the cold concrete and every time I breathed, I wanted to puke because that Walker was rotting by the second.

In my isolation, I started hearing voices. I thought they were coming from the group, but then I actually started to listen. I heard Jim…Amy, Dale…I even heard Shane. Everyone we lost was talking to me, telling me to come with them, but I knew better. I was tripping shit just like when I tried Shrooms, but…I started giving into their company. I laughed when they did, I talked to them…they were still my friends, so what's wrong with having a nice chit-chat? Oh, that's right, they're all dead.

I knew I was dying, but I fought the urge to close my eyes for fear of slipping into the darkness. I looked to the door and I saw the silhouette of someone standing. Didn't I kill that Walker? Who cares, I wouldn't put up much of a fight anyways. I was about to blink to see if it'd go away, but then I heard him say my name…he was there. The man that used to haunt my dreams to the point of insanity, someone who I loved and cared about…my best friend…who left this world long ago…

I mumbled his name over and over. That thick British accent belonged to Skylar and I could see him perfectly as he seemed to start glowing in the darkness. He looked so clean and although I couldn't see what he was wearing, his black hair was managed and his emerald eyes were like fireflies in the darkness.

**"****Look at you…my poor girl."**

**"****Sk-k-ky?"** I rasped.

He came closer and kneeled over me. I felt him move some hair from my face, rub some grime from my cheek and I almost cried, but his presence seemed to ease my pain. Skylar was dead and this was a hallucination, but visions can't touch you!

**"****The way I left was so selfish…I didn't want to hurt you, but then you found me and…I'm so sorry, love. You shouldn't have had to go through that."**

**"…****it's…ok-kay."**

He started at me like he had a big decision to make. My breathing slowed and my vison got fuzzy again. I think he knew he was keeping me from slipping because when he got up, my eyes automatically focused on him.

**"****You don't have to fight anymore."** He beamed and it was the most beautiful thing; Skylar always had a dashing smile.

**"****I'll take the pain away. No more fighting, no more struggling, just sweet serenity. Just you and me, like before. You deserve to be happy, carefree, and that escape is awaiting you. You've earned it…****_she's _****there Zayla, she misses you. Don't you want to see your Mum again?"** He smiled again; the softness in his voice matched the kindness gleaming in his sparkling eyes.

My heart started stinging with every beat. This was an invitation to be free of all sufferings and worries…a call from Death. I should take this opportunity to be free and be taken care of because, apparently, I deserved it. Just leave everyone because this was the easy way out and, supposedly, there was a blissful nirvana awaiting my arrival. My Mom was waiting for me to come to her and I briefly wondered if my Dad was there too…all the friends I lost...The others hadn't found me yet, and they probably never would, so the answer should be obvious right? It should be so simple, shouldn't it? I should go, I should do this.

**No.**

I am not that selfish. I refuse to give into Death's kiss, no matter how marvelous it'd be. Whatever God that wanted me, could look me dead in my eyes, propose the most luxurious utopia he has to offer and you know what I'd do? I'd flip him off without a second thought. I'd destroy his image, tear down his gates and not give a rat's ass about anything because no paradise of mine would be complete without **him**, without my family. These people need me and I need each and every one of them. I didn't take Jenner's painless escape and I wasn't going to take this one, even if it meant being with Skylar again. Granted, this shithole of a world is a hard life to live, but we've been kicking ass since the shit hit the fan! We've been kicked around and beaten by this life, but I'll be damned if it hasn't made us stronger. I am not one to surrender, I am not taking the easy way out and I will** never** abandon the ones I love; I still had a hell of a lot of fight left!

I faintly smiled at my mirage and his grew wider until I flipped him off. He shook his head, but smiled again.

**"****I'll be waiting."** He disappeared and I looked around to see if he was really gone.

Not a second after he left, the pain washed over me and I groaned almost like a Walker. I crawled to the door, pain pulsing through every inch of my body, and I tried to get the knife from the Walker's skull; I was not going to give up, I'd find a way out. Every pull took a toll on me and with the hardest one I could muster, it came down on me, pinning me under its dead weight and it's stench polluting my air; I groaned again because now it was damn near impossible to breath with this thing crushing my lungs. I grunted as I tried to push it off of me, but I didn't have anything left.

I let my head softly hit the floor and tried to focus on breathing, when suddenly the door scraped open and a man looked in the cell. He stabbed the Walker in the head and the knife almost went through to mine before he dragged it out and towered over me, his shoulders heaving with rage. My eyes couldn't stay open after I felt his calloused hands pull at my shirt.

**(Daryl's POV)**

Through the little bit of light seeping through from outside the cell, I could see her perfectly and she was half dead. Her breathing was slow, shallow like her very life was escaping with each breath and I couldn't bear to look at her hands. She had Walker blood everywhere from the shirt down and I could see her paling skin. I couldn't run with her because every time I went faster than a jog she cried out and I didn't want to cause her anymore pain. Everyone gathered around me to see her as I carried her to a clean cell and put her in the cot.

She was so still and I thought it was too late, but Hershel listened for her pulse and she was still there; my tough girl. He sent everyone to get the needed supplies and he told me to talk to her to keep her conscious. I kneeled in front on the bed and held her lifeless hand.

**"****You listen to me, girl, you hold on. We gonna get ya' patched up and you're gonna be fine. Ya' hear? You can make it through this. I'll rip ya' from His hands if I have to. I ain't givin' up on ya', so don't give up on me."**

I didn't know what the hell I was doing, but I was going off instinct. Her thumb twitched and I took that as a good sign, so I kept talking to her. When everyone came back, Hershel cleaned up the minor cuts and scrapes, none of them looking to be from Walkers, before he saw the gash lower on her shoulder. The skin was darkening from being bruised, and her shoulder may have been dislocated, but he told me that she was going to have to get stitches first. We didn't have any more painkillers, since we used them all on him and Carol, so this was going to hurt like a bitch.

I held her top down, my hands bracing on her collarbone and Glenn holding her legs down. Hershel said a quick prayer as he treaded the needle and the second he punctured her skin, her face twisted in pain and she whimpered. I thought this was going to be easy since she was really drained, but when he got into the 2nd stitch, she growled and then the trashing stared. She kicked Glenn off and she screamed when I held her down, putting the smallest amount of pressure near her wound to keep her restrained. Her screams where mixed with fearful whimpers as Hershel continued.

**"****NO, NO! GO AWAY! I'M NOT COMING WITH YOU! NO, DARYL!"** She cried my name and I felt my heart harden like a rock. Maggie came in and she gave Hershel a small box.

**"****Few tablets of Valium. It was in the Warden's office."**

The name sounded familiar and I remembered that Merle was addicted to those things at one point. I guess they were narcotics because he was really happy afterwards…then again he always mixed his drugs with handfuls of others.

Hershel got the foil open as I straddled her torso. I pushed her cheeks together, separating her clenched teeth as she tried clawing at me. She nipped the bottom of my finger, but I got her mouth open and Hershel put the tablets in. He poured a bit of water in her mouth before I clamped my hand over it and waited for her to swallow.

After 15 long minutes, she was happily sighing and her eyes were as big as marbles. Hershel and Glenn would laugh at her whenever she babbled to them or tell them how much she loved them as she stroked their heads; she was so high. Her shoulder wasn't dislocated, but it needed to be wrapped for proper healing. Hershel was finishing up as she stared at me with big starry eyes. When was done, he asked me to stay with her until the drugs wore off and I sat on the other end of the bed. She was sitting up, but her head was in her hands and she was laughing.

She kept up her nonsense talk and she laid in weird positions for the next 20 minutes or so. Now she was face down with one of her legs hanging from the poles on the top bunk.

**"****Z, you still high?" **She pulled her face up and she looked so tired.

**"****I'm mmm can't be going bubblegum for orange today now…yeah?"**

She was still up there, but she was coming down.

I chuckled as I put my hand on her head to make sure she didn't have a bad fever. She was a little warm, but it wasn't anything too bad. She seemed to think otherwise as she huffed and franticly pulled her shirt and jeans off.

**"****HEY, eyes off! My boy man friend gonna…is will kick…yer ass!"** She glared and pulled the blanket up to her shoulders. I snorted.

**"****Oh yeah? Who's your boy man friend?"**

She threw the covers off and stood on her knees so her ass was to my face. She pointed to a spot and on top of her right cheek was something scribbled in cursive. Taking a closer look, inscribed elegantly in cursive said "Property of Daryl Dixon" and I felt my dick twitch.

How long did she have that? Why did she decide that I was good enough to engrave my name on her, making her permanently mine? I knew she liked me and I cared about her so much, but we never really sat down and confirmed we were together. We didn't have to because I'm pretty sure she knew how I felt and it wasn't like anything was going to change. We weren't going to display our relationship. As far as I know, we've been 'together' for a long time, but it was more like an open relationship we didn't know about. She had 3 long-term boyfriends before the apocalypse and I've had fuck knows how many one night stands.

She had her stomach touching the wall, so she could cool off, and when her head went down, she was out. Seeing the opportunity, I kissed her warm cheek.

I told Hershel to come find me when she woke up. Since Rick was still having his mental breakdown, we'd have to make do with the absence of his guidance. I was always used to being on the opposite side of the law, but I wasn't going to let him down and I wasn't going to let anyone else die. We lost T-Dog and Sophia to get this prison and I was going to make sure their deaths weren't for nothing.

**_(Remember Zayla's roommate? Skylar's re-appearance will have a explaination! The prison parts are almost always going to be long, so heads up to future chapters. Thanks for the reviews, you guys rock!)_**


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